The famed Spencer Junction on M.G. Road in the State capital will now be without its iconic Spencer’s outlet.
Spencer’s that has been the defining landmark of Spencer Junction put up the shutters on Friday after the RPSG Group, which owns Spencer’s Retail, communicated that it would be the last day for the store.
Spencer’s other outlets in the city at Vellayambalam, Pattom, and Sreekaryam; a godown at Ambalathara; and an outlet at Thiruvalla in Pathanamthitta district have also been closed down in the wake of the group ceasing its Kerala operations.
The move has come as a surprise to both customers and employees. Ninety-six-year-old Gopalan Nair, former managing director of Milma, is a regular at the store. The moment the Kunnukuzhy resident’s car stops in front of the store, employees such as Sheela rush to bring him inside. The employees at the outlet are very friendly, he remarks. The shared fondness has the employees bring Mr. Nair up to speed with the latest developments.
“Without Spencer’s, Spencer junction will now have to be called university junction after University College or church junction after the St. George Orthodox Syrian Cathedral there,” says Mr. Gopalan Nair.
Another old-timer Ajay Kumar, an employee of Indian Overseas Bank, says the news of the store’s closure was sad. “I just heard about it. Spencer’s has a long legacy. I have been coming here for years, and wanted to make one final purchase today.”
Employees say there are people who drop in as early as 7.30 a.m. when the outlet opens. Many have been steady customers who have formed a bond with the staff. All this is set to become a thing of the past.
Uncertain future
They are also apprehensive about the future. The outlets employ nearly 90 direct staff, besides 25 others. “We were told a day ago that Friday would be the last day for the store. Prior notice would have helped us prepare for the uncertainty ahead. We have been asked to shift to the Hyderabad region, but many are not in a position to do so,” says an employee.
Some of the staff have spent 18-20 years or more at the stores. They worry they will not find some other employment at their age. Men may still find some job as gig workers, but there are women employees who are the only earning member in the family, says a senior employee.
“I have worked here close to two decades, but being let go has been a shock. My husband is unwell, and the children are not yet employed. I have to pay the rent too. What will we do in the days ahead we do not know,” bemoans a woman employee of the Spencer Junction outlet.
The stores are apparently being closed owing to lack of profits. However, employees say there was little stock reaching the stores for the past year-and-a-half. Even for Onam, stocks were running low.
The RPSG Group has promised salary for the next month during which the employees will stay on to transfer the stocks back, but after that they will no longer be employed. “We have never faced any salary problems. Now, all of a sudden we find ourselves without a job. It is tough to secure a job, especially if we are unemployed. We appeal to the company to rethink the decision,” say the employees.
