B&M is shutting down 49 of its stores across the UK

B&M is to shut down 49 of its stores across the country in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

49 of its branches will be temporarily closing down, as the budget retailer deals with the current situation.

Don’t panic if you can’t live without your B&M fix, though, as the retailer has 656 stores in the UK so there’ll still be a few open.

Jaggery / Geograph

The stores that are shutting are usually smaller ones in shopping centres, with 42 of the 49 that are closing located near to larger stores anyway, according to B&M.

It decided to keep all of its stores open initially so people could get groceries and other household items, but has now decided to shut some branches after reviewing its operations.

Albert Bridge / Geograph

Staff at the affected stores will be furloughed under the UK’s job retention scheme, with the government covering 80% of their wages.

B&M hasn’t released a list of the stores which are closing, so your best bet is to contact your local branch beforehand to make sure it’s open.