Cineworld closures: Impact in Woolwich?
Reports have emerged this morning that Cineworld will close all UK cinemas threatening 5,500 jobs.
This would see the Bexleyheath branch close and possibly the Picturehouse cinema in Greenwich. Picturehouse is owned by Cineworld.
It also impacts upon plans for a new cinema in Woolwich. It’s less than a year since Picturehouse was announced for Woolwich as part of the Spray Street project.
Alongside the closure comes heavy lobbying of Government for assistance. It’s possible that will succeed and the chain survives into 2021 – though not without six months of closure and many out of work – in the short to mid term at least.
A big hope for cinema was the release of Tenet, though reports state after an initial burst viewing numbers quickly declined. The delay to the latest Bond film to April 2021 was the latest blow.
The question is, how many cinemas will exist in 2021 for the Bond film to release into, and will sufficient numbers feel confident in returning?
Cineworld made a loss of £1.3 billion in the six months to June 2020.
It’s a *temporary* closure until the COVID-19 situation improves, with some / many of the 5,500 redundancies potentially able to return when the branches open again.
As I said, but they have massive losses and people will still be tentative about returning in 2021. Let’s not expect the same business to emerge in 2021 as existed in 2020
Yet more sad news coming out of the terrible Covid-19 virus, I really feel for the Cineworld staff who could temporaily or permanently lose their jobs during these very difficult times.
Think with the arrival of Netflix and personalisation of YouTube…cinema attendance is still in decline
I have been to Greenwich Picturehouse since they reopened. I love their cinemas hopefully won’t close Greenwich cinema.
Covid-19 has made the trading landscape even worse and I agree with Murky that a lot of businesses will not survive until it either goes away or there is an effective vaccine.
Still the government is finally alive to the skills shortage in this country is seriously looking at ways to retrain a workless population. However, some disciplines, such as architecture, have a very long training period.
Absolutely anonymous201481 I agree with yourself and Murky.
But why people out there continue to ignore Government and Public Health advice on the wearing of facemask/coverings and social distancing Covid-19 will not go away.
Until a proven vacine as been found.
Which will result in more busineses being forced to close with many further job losses.
I have said for a long time we need more Government Training Centres like we had in the 1980’s and 1990’s so we train many unemployed people with new skills.
Architecture for example would require college courses combined with on the job placements and would take sometime to complete.
Covid-19 is not going away anytime soon and in the absence of a vaccine, wearing a mask, maintaining hand hygiene and practising physical distancing are the only tools we have. Those people who failed to practice any one of those minimum requirements are the ones responsible for the current spike in the infection rate. Further, those mayors and civic leaders are doing no favours to their communities by kicking against the renewed lockdowns. They should be told point blank that there is no other course and to urge people to stick to the rules.