Owner of well-known Liverpool fancy dress Lili Bizarre is taking on retail giant M&S, claiming that the store’s hoardings are obstructing Tarleton Street, where Lili Bizarre is based.
Gary Wakefield says that M&S should be helping local firms and should tell shoppers that the rest of the street is open for business.
M&S has been carrying out work on the facade of its Church Street store since last year, when a man was hit by falling masonry. New hoardings have now been put up so the work can continue.
But Gary says the work is blocking views of his shop and other businesses in Tarleton Street and that the retail giant is ignoring the pleas of local businesses.
“The boarding is actually covering up the sign saying Tarleton Street,” explained Gary. “We had a meeting with them and they said they didn’t want to come across as a big business and that they want to do everything they can to help. But everything we have come up with they’ve said they can’t do.”
“We just want a sign saying ‘open for business’,” he continued. “But they haven’t done anything.”
A spokesperson for M&S said that construction regulations meant posters could not be put on the hoardings.
