SHOPPERS have been left gutted as a jewellery chain gears up to close a branch renowned for its customer service.
Beaverbrooks runs 71 jewellers across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
1
But the retailer is set to close its Romford branch in The Liberty Shopping Centre within days.
The shop will welcome in customers for the final time on Sunday, March 17, in a blow for locals.
The branch has already launched a closing down sale, with shoppers able to pick up discounts worth up to 50%.
A message on the retailer’s website reads: “We want to say a big thank you for letting us be a part of your special moments over the years. It’s meant the world to us.”
Read more in Store Closures
Customers leaving reviews on Google have come to know the store for its “amazing” customer service.
Others have praised staff for their welcoming touch and patient approach.
News of the closure has been met with devastation from shoppers and locals alike, with many claiming Romford is becoming deserted.
One said: “Another shop bites the dust”.
Most read in Money
A second said: “Just another shop to close Romford had died long ago.”
A third added: “Romford is just the decomposing remains of the once thriving town it was.”
Shopping discounts – How to make savings and find the best bargains
And a fourth commented: “Poor Romford. Everything is going, what will be next.”
The Beaverbrooks closure comes after Argos shut its Romford branch on March 2, leaving shoppers gutted.
A spokesperson for the retailer told The Sun closing the Gallows Corner store was part of its plan to “transform Argos”.
They added: “We are reducing the number of standalone Argos stores we operate while opening more Argos stores and collection points within Sainsbury’s.
“As part of this plan and regular reviews of our property estate, we made the difficult decision to close our Romford Gallows Argos store.”
Closing down signs were spotted at a Poundstretcher branch in the east London town last November as well, although it’s not clear whether the branch has closed yet.
Hundreds of stores have pulled down their shutters for good across the UK in recent years.
The high street has suffered as households increasingly turn to online retail, a trend which intensified during the coronavirus pandemic.
High energy, wage costs and business rates have further piled pressure on businesses, forcing many to close.
Some major retailers have gone bust completely since the start of last year, including Wilko and Paperchase.
Others such as The Body Shop and Boots have massively streamlined their store portfolios in a bid to cut costs.
But it’s not been all doom and gloom across the sector – some businesses have been expanding their presence in retail parks and on the high street.
Why are retailers closing stores?
RETAILERS have been feeling the squeeze since the pandemic, while shoppers are cutting back on spending due to the soaring cost of living crisis.
High energy costs and a move to shopping online after the pandemic are also taking a toll, and many high street shops have struggled to keep going.
The high street has seen a whole raft of closures over the past year, and more are coming.
The number of jobs lost in British retail dropped last year, but 120,000 people still lost their employment, figures have suggested.
Figures from the Centre for Retail Research revealed that 10,494 shops closed for the last time during 2023, and 119,405 jobs were lost in the sector.
It was fewer shops than had been lost for several years, and a reduction from 151,641 jobs lost in 2022.
The centre’s director, Professor Joshua Bamfield, said the improvement is “less bad” than good.
Although there were some big-name losses from the high street, including Wilko, many large companies had already gone bust before 2022, the centre said, such as Topshop owner Arcadia, Jessops and Debenhams.
“The cost-of-living crisis, inflation and increases in interest rates have led many consumers to tighten their belts, reducing retail spend,” Prof Bamfield said.
“Retailers themselves have suffered increasing energy and occupancy costs, staff shortages and falling demand that have made rebuilding profits after extensive store closures during the pandemic exceptionally difficult.”
Alongside Wilko, which employed around 12,000 people when it collapsed, 2023’s biggest failures included UK Flooring Direct, Planet Organic and Tile Giant.
The Centre for Retail Research said most stores were closed because companies were trying to reorganise and cut costs rather than the business failing.
However, experts have warned there will likely be more failures this year as consumers keep their belts tight and borrowing costs soar for businesses.
Last year, around 14% of insolvencies were in retail businesses, according to official figures.
In January, WHSmith said it wanted to open 15 new shops in airports and railway stations and hospitals across the UK this year.
The retailer said a further 15 branches would open “each year” after 2023 “over the medium term”.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
It came off the back of the high street stalwart announcing revenue across the business increasing by 8% in the 20 weeks up to January 20 compared to the same period the previous year.
Discounter B&M has also been opening branches across the UK, as well as Asda, Primark, Aldi and Lidl.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing [email protected].
Plus, you can join our Sun Money Chats and Tips Facebook group to share your tips and stories.
