The nationwide chain which specialises in frozen food and low prices has closed its Erdington shop after more than two decades in the High Street
Farmfoods in Erdington has now closed for good after more than two decades in the High Street
A former shop worker at a now shut Birmingham store has blamed rife shoplifting for the closure and says staff had to be ‘guard dogs’ as well as sales assistants.
Farmfoods closed its Erdington High Street shop for the final time on Sunday (February 1).
The shelves have now been stripped bare, with a sign in the window stating ‘This Shop Has Now Closed’.
And shoppers have been directed to the firm’s next nearest shop at the Ravenside Retail Park, off the A38 Kingsbury Road, more than two miles away.
Read more: Desperate messages of market traders given just hours to clear out
A former shop worker at the site, who asked not to be named, has blamed shoplifting in Erdington High Street.
They said: “The situation on the baseline staff was difficult because expectations were high on a two to three-person team throughout the day, requiring till workers to be on shoplifter lookout.
“So for basic pay, even with a security guard for three quarters of the day, they were essentially guard dogs and blamed if they didn’t serve everyone, spot and report shop lifters, tidy the front area and clean everything perfectly.”
A sign in the now former Farmfoods window in Erdington’s High Street says: “This Shop Has Now Closed’ and directs shoppers to its Ravenside Retail Park store off the A38 Kingsbury Road
They continued: “I believe this has repercussed on staff later in regards to them being retained.
“The store closing has hurt a lot of the elderly shoppers who rely on it.
“Many do not know where they will shop now and are reluctant to go further out to the new Erdington Retail Park in Castle Vale.
“Customers came to rely on the store as a godsend and are now feeling quite lost.”
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The Farmfoods shop closed around 3pm on Sunday but it was almost empty by 11am after discounts were given on the last remaining items in store.
The final day proved popular according to the staff member, who has now been made redundant.
Farmfoods had been in Erdington’s High Street for 24 years – but not anymore as the store closes for good and its shelves have been stripped bare
They said: “At 8.45am people were lined up in excess of 30 people waiting for the doors to open.
“Some people waiting for the 50 per cent bargains, some waiting to grab a few items to say goodbye to the staff.
“Some people were emotional at the loss of their local where they relied on low price milk, as the building has housed a Farmfoods for 24 years.
“The team of 10 worked the till and packed people’s shopping, as well as downsizing freezers as the Farmfoods wagon loaded the freezers for removal. People were very gracious, and a few complained or haggled for more money off their shop, as is custom in Erdington.
“By 11 the shelves were almost bare until they finally closed their doors.”
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The staff member said three of the staff had been at the shop more than 20 years. They said it would be a ‘big hit to the High Street’.
They added: “In the last year we’ve lost Greggs, Shipley’s, a small slot shop, and each day another place closes.
“There seems to be plans to renovate the upper rooms into apartments.
“In the last year we got a security guard to combat the aggressive shop lifters who are very much getting worse. This may have been part of the reason the shop lease was let go.
“We’ve worked on a skeleton crew basis at night, despite an increase in footfall.”
BirminghamLive has contacted Farmfoods on the shop closure and asked whether this was down to shoplifting in the area, but we have not received a reply.