Bakery confirms one less pie shop for Wigan

Bolton-based bakers Greenhalgh’s have dropped their presence in the town centre from three to two outlets, after their Mesnes Street branch ceased trading on Saturday.

But bosses have confirmed the chain’s two nearby stores, in Standishgate and Market Street, have been unaffected by the decision.

In a statement Sandra Ogden, the company’s retail sales and marketing director, said: “We would like to thank all our customers for their valued custom and remind you that we have...alternative shops in Wigan town centre.”

The company still has a further eight borough shops in Ashton, Atherton, Hindley, Leigh, Pemberton, Shevington, Whelley and Tyldesley.

Another major trader, Lloyds Pharmacy has also announced it will be slimming down its operations in the heart of Wigan.

The chemist’s branch in Standishgate is set to shut up shop at the end of January.

Last year the Wigan Post reported how seven Lloyds outlets in the borough were under threat after the company announced 190 locations would be axed.

Customers are being redirected from the Standishgate branch to a nearby shop in Whelley but outlets in Mesnes Park Terrace and inside the Sainsbury’s at Marus Bridge are understood to be unaffected. Other borough stores, two in Atherton and one in Tyldesley, are also continuing trading.

The chain blamed the widescale losses on “dramatic funding and reimbursement costs over the past 24 months”.

Managing director Cormac Tobin said then: “Community pharmacy needs to adapt to the changing requirements of patients and the NHS, indeed it should be part of the solution to an overstretched health service,

“To achieve this, we need a new operational framework that creates a thriving pharmacy network that continues to offer essential integrated healthcare and is rooted in local communities.”

Bookmakers Ladbroke’s have also temporarily closed a branch at Market Place “due to unforeseen circumstances”.

Last night a spokesman for the betting company was unavailable.

But a sign in the shop window has told customers that their other shops in Park Road and Woodhouse Lane remained open, as well as the Wallgate Coral, which is part of their trading group.