A national building materials chain will close one of its Isle of Wight stores at the end of this month after making the ‘difficult but necessary decision’ to downscale some operations.

With around 500 branches dotted across the country, Jewson is one of the largest general builders’ merchants in the UK.

The chain currently operates five stores on the Island, with one in Ryde, one in Sandown and three in Newport.

Jewson has confirmed it will close its Medina Avenue branch, formerly Moreys, on Friday, November 29 and merge into the nearby Trafalgar Road store.

Jewson branch on Trafalgar Road in NewportJewson branch on Trafalgar Road in Newport (Image: Google Maps)

A spokesperson for STARK Building Materials UK, which owns Jewson, said: “We’ve made the decision to close our Jewson branch at Medina Avenue, Newport, and create a full builders’ merchant offer from one site at Trafalgar Road.

“This means that customers will benefit from an extensive and expanding range of products for their projects, as well as our Jewson Tool Hire service and a kitchen showroom, all available from one branch, saving them valuable time.” 

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The national chain said it is responding to market conditions and what its customers are looking for.

This is why it has made the “difficult but necessary decision to downscale” its operations in some areas and “expand in others.”

The spokesperson continued: “Where colleagues are impacted, we’re supporting them to find alternative roles within the business or to pursue opportunities elsewhere.”

“We’ve invested in our Jewson Trafalgar Road branch over recent years, and we remain firmly committed to continuing to provide our customers on the Isle of Wight with the high-quality building materials and support they need and want.”

The County Press has been told by several sources this week that Jewson may move to the former St George's site on Godric Road in Newport.