Mothercare is latest big name to leave Gravesend

The baby store, situated inside BHS in St George's Shopping Centre, New Road, will close for good on June 13 - adding to a long list of retailers pulling out of the town.

Mothercare will close almost nine months to the day Gravesend bid farewell to Marks and Spencer, also in New Road.

This latest closure will add to the 52 vacant retail units, which make up 10 per cent of shops in the town.

A Mothercare store

Gravesham council leader, Councillor John Burden said: "We want to keep them here but traders will leave, it's the nature of the market we're in but we hope another trader will come and take their place very quickly.

"With bigger stores, they are harder to fill to a space this size should be filled quickly.

"We want to welcome more traders to the town but we've changed the way we shop and traders need to work with these changes."

Peacocks in Gravesend High Street closed its doors in February 2012 followed by Burtons, Dorothy Perkins and Evans in June 2014.

The closure of big names such as Marks and Spencer and Mothercare have seen smaller businesses pull away from the town.

Councillor John Burden

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Julia Lomax, 43, used to run St George’s Flowers in the St George’s Centre but has since moved her business to Albany Park in Bexley.

She told News Shopper: "I was in Gravesend for a couple of years but I wouldn’t come back. "I worked so hard but you noticed the decline every couple of months.

"It’s just getting worse and worse."

Jo James, Chief Executive, Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce added: "It's always concerning and disappointing to hear that a national brand has moved out of the centre.

"Many national brands are reviewing their position in regards to town centres resulting in a reduced town centre presence nationally.

"Work will be underway to ensure that there is a replacement and this does not impact on the number of visitors to the town.

"Despite losing M & S last year the town has continued to trade well and maintain footfall.

"Shaping the future and setting a long term strategy for the town centre is always going to be a difficult one when the properties are privately owned and out of Council control.

"There needs to be a collaborative approach going forward between the Council and the landlords working together to a shared vision to ensure that we get the right balance going forward for a sustainable town centre."

Mothercare has been contacted for a comment.