Chichester retailer closes down before Christmas

The East Street retailer has closed down after the company went into administration earlier this month. The firm has since partnered with Next which will own 74 per cent of the equity, while the company’s founder, Tom Joule, will own the remaining 26 per cent.

List of shops that have opened and closed in Chichester in 2022

The number of shops has been reduced from 124 to just 100.

It is not yet known how many job losses there have been at the Chichester branch.

The Joules team was unavailable for comment.

A statement about the new partnership was posted on the company’s website above a list of the stores that had closed.

Simon Wolfson, NEXT chief executive said: "We are excited to see what can be achieved through the combination of Joules' exceptional product, marketing and brand building skills with NEXT's Total Platform infrastructure."

Tom Joule said: "After three years away from the operational side, I'm truly looking forward to inspiring teams with clear direction to excite and recapture the imagination of the customer again. Our customers have always trusted us to lead, not follow, with products that reflect their lifestyle. It's important that we live up to the high standards they desire in design, quality and, with NEXT's Total Platform delivery and customer support proposition, the service they expect. I'm so pleased that we have been able to strike a deal that protects the future of the company for all its loyal customers, its employees and also for the town of Market Harborough, which have been so central to Joules' success."