CITY businesses have been told there is “no gain without pain” as traders were warned they face a challenging two years.

Oxford University retail expert Dr Jonathan Reynolds said roadworks, a lack of parking and the redevelopment of the Westgate Centre would combine to make trading tough in the coming months.

But both he and Oxford City Council leader Bob Price said the overall outcome would be better for shoppers and businesses in the city.

It comes as the Oxford Mail revealed Primark is to leave the Westgate Centre between March 2016 and Autumn 2017 due to the redevelopment works. The company said it was unable to find a suitable alternative premises in the city for the duration of the Westgate works.

Staff will be offered new jobs at the store’s Banbury branch, due to open in November, but could face losing their jobs if they choose not to relocate.

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Dr Reynolds, academic director of the Oxford Institute of Retail Management and an associate professor at the Said Business School, said: “In the next couple of years there will be so many works it will be hard.

“The next 18 months will be a period of great uncertainty for traders, which is not good with existing traffic and parking issues.

Oxford Mail:

Roadworks caused by the development of the Westgate Centre

“Primark are saying they can relocate to Banbury, and that would affect customers in Oxford.

“It will be an inconvenience for those who use it and it will have an impact on footfall.

“It will be one less shop on people’s list and that will mean people may not bother [with Oxford] and may go to Reading or Milton Keynes.

“It is an additional disincentive to come to Oxford on top of car parking prices and the traffic problems.

“But it is part of the bigger redevelopment of the Westgate Centre and there is no gain without pain.”

Work to redevelop Frideswide Square is scheduled to finish by December, with roadworks on the Wolvercote and Cutteslowe roundabouts set to last until autumn 2016.

The redeveloped Westgate centre is expected to be complete by the following autumn.

Oxford Mail:

Shoppers peer through the window ahead of Primark's opening in 2006

Mr Price said: “When Primark reopens it will be a bigger store. Obviously it will have an effect on the attractiveness of central Oxford for shoppers but we have similar types of stores in Cowley and it will give them a boost.

“We are looking at a course of painful disruption but in the longer term it will be a big benefit for people and will completely transform Oxford.

“We just have to power through it.”

Primark said the 193 staff who work at the Westgate branch would automatically be given a job if they applied at its new Banbury store, but it only has 188 jobs available.

Spokeswoman Georgia Colkin said: “After an extensive search, which is ongoing, we have been unable to find a large enough premises for a temporary store whilst our new store is built in and around the town centre or on a retail park.”

Small business owner Caroline Henney, who runs Antiques on High in High Street, said Primark’s closure would hurt all businesses in the city.

She said: “Anything that affects footfall will hit all business.

“Any decline in shops can put people off coming in because the shop that closes might be the shop that they wanted to come in and use.

“A lot of people already go to Swindon or Reading or High Wycombe because you get more of a shopping experience there.

“It is a challenging environment at the moment and rates are high for independent businesses as well.”

There are currently 13 empty stores in the Westgate Centre, including units previously leased by Holland and Barrett, Halifax and Whittard of Chelsea.

Westgate Oxford Alliance development manager Sara Fuge said: “We have developed a phased closure plan which allows as much of the centre, and the retailers trading within it, to stay open for as long as possible.

“Primark and its surroundings stores will remain open into next year.

“We are delighted Primark will be part of the new Westgate and look forward to welcoming everyone to experience the new centre when it opens in Autumn 2017.”

WHAT THEY SAY

Rebecca Jones, 20, student and shop assistant at Thorntons opposite Primark. From Cowley Road.

"It’s not for a long while, it’s obviously harder for people who have been here for years and years, but it’s been a long time coming and its necessary."

Saleem, retailer who works at the stalls outside of Primark. From Cowley Road.

"It’s a big loss, so many people come to Primark to shop. It’s quite busy.

“Everybody here is losing business.

“Even we are struggling. We used to have a shop as well.

“We are struggling to find a new place because it’s quite expensive."

Chloe Rodgerson, 19, student. From Oxford

"I don’t have a driving licence so it wouldn’t really be possible for me to shop in Banbury now instead.

“I’ve been shopping here for a long time, it’s an inconvenience that it’s closing for so long because the prices are much better for me and shopping in Oxford in general is quite expensive."

Andre Fonseca, 22, foreign student studying at Oxford Brookes

"It’s annoying that it will be closed for so long and that they can’t relocate somewhere else in Oxford, but I don’t shop there often so it won’t bother me too much.

“I’m looking forward to the opening of the new shopping centre. It will be much better for students."