Speaking to the BBC yesterday, Cowgill said the red tape and delays in shipping goods to the continent equated to “double-digit millions” in extra costs. 

As a result, Cowgill said it would “make a lot of sense” for the retailer to open a European distribution centre, which he said would employ 1,000 people. While he said that wouldn’t result in the closure of the retailer’s existing Rochdale centre, he warned “it would mean the transfer of jobs to Europe”.