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Search forBusinesses lose a day of trading after fire at Next
Wednesday, August 27, 2008, 08:00
Businesses close to the store lost a whole day of trade as shops had to be abandoned as the blaze broke out on Sunday.
Yesterday the empty shell of the store stood blackened in St James' Park, with doors and windows clouded by smoke damage and singed mannequins still standing in their displays.
Burnt insulation materials littered the floor at the side of the building and shoppers going into nearby stores peered in through the smoky windows to assess the damage.
It is not yet known what caused the fire which destroyed the first floor of the store.
At Brantano Footwear, next door to damaged store, manager Tom Clothier said it had lost a very important day of trade.
"For us, this week is the busiest of the year with all the back-to-school promotions," he said.
"I'd say with the loss of bank holiday trading, we've probably lost around 10% to 15% of our week's takings.
"We had to evacuate at around 3pm on Sunday and had to remain closed all of Monday.
"Our roof tiles have been removed to release the smoke and we're hoping to get the repairs done by Wednesday."
Shopper Nick Hooper, 24, of Cheviot Close, Quedgeley, was at a neighbouring Domino's Pizza takeaway at the time of the fire.
"I saw the smoke from where I was and there was a huge crowd of people outside the shop," he said.
"My first thoughts were that someone had got around the back and torched the bins."
A spokesman for Next said the cause of the fire was under investigation.
"The store had a fire alarm system in place that allowed us to safely evacuate the building. The store will be closed until further notice," he said.
"We are unable to say when the store will reopen, although we can assure customers that the store will open as soon as it is possible."
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The Shed is the greatest viewing point in sport. To do anything to damage would be an outrage.
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