A MAJOR supermarket chain is shutting one of its stores next month.
Lidl is closing its shop in Paignton, Devon, next month after 25 years.
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The store in the Victoria Centre will shut for good on February 4 after long speculation about its future.
A spokesperson for Lidl said: “We can confirm that our Paignton store in the Victoria Centre, which is almost 25 years old, is unfortunately no longer fit for purpose and will be closing on Sunday 4th February.
“Residents can be assured that they will still have access to our great value products at our larger White Rock Way store, just 10 minutes’ walk away.
“Additionally, our teams are continuing with plans to bring a new store to Kings Ash.”
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Locals have been sharing their thoughts about the closure on Facebook.
One person said: “Another nail in Paignton town centre, the council is in the process of demolition of their last bad decision, the white elephant shopping centre.”
Another added: “The store was always going to close, but this was sooner than expected.”
While a third commented: “As a non-driver, it’s a huge blow.”
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In 2023 Lidl announced plans to open hundreds of locations across the UK as part of huge expansion plans.
It confirmed a new store target of 1,100 stores by the end of 2025, creating potentially 4,000 new jobs.
We have a full list of potential new Lidl locations – find out if a store is coming to a town near you.
It comes as other major shops and retailers look to close outlets in 2024.
Some stores will be replaced or relocated while others will disappear from the high street forever.
Argos, Next, Jack Wills and Poundland will all shut selected branches for good in 2024.
Many retailers have not been able to recover from coronavirus lockdowns, and the switch to online shopping has not helped.
Increasing bills, rent and the cost of living has meant people are much more careful when it comes to spending money.
According to the British Retail Consortium, 6,000 retail outlets have closed down since 2018.
Several major brands have also collapsed completely such as Wilko and Paperchase.
We can reveal the full list of shops that will be closing down in 2024.
What about store openings?
It is not all bad news for 2024 as some retailers and even pub chains are opening up branches in January.
B&M is opening two stores in Porthmadog and Washington on January 18 and January 26 respectively.
This will be followed by a branch in Harrow, London on February 10, and another in Arnold, Nottinghamshire, on February 21.
The retailer will cut the ribbon on a branch in Thamesmead, London, on February 22 and Beaumont Lays, Leicester, a day later.
Supermarket giant Asda has also confirmed it is on track to open 1,000 more sites across the UK and Northern Ireland by March 2024.
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Meanwhile, Wilko also has plans to open more stores in January after reopening branches in Plymouth, Luton and Exeter.
Clothing retailer Peacocks is also set to open six new stores soon.
