BURY'S Index store will shut or be sold off following the announcement that the catalogue shopping business is to close with the loss of nearly 4,000 jobs.
The store in Kay Gardens is one of 163 Index branches nationwide affected by the decision. Argos has agreed to buy 32 stores from Index, part of the Littlewoods group, which will secure up to 800 jobs.
Index employees in Bury and elsewhere in the UK have been briefed about the plans. Until the consultation had taken place, the company was unwilling to say whether the Kay Gardens store was to close or be bought by Argos.
Officials from retail union Usdaw will be meeting senior management from Index and demanding to see the company's business case that backs their plans to shut or sell every store within the group.
Usdaw national officer John Gorle said: "This decision has come completely out of the blue. Our members who have contributed to the success of this company have been left reeling and utterly shocked by this devastating news."
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