‘But it’s our favourite’ sob shoppers as well-known technology giant with 240 stores to close town centre branch

GAMING fans sob as well-known high street giant pulls the shutters down on yet another branch.

The tech giant with 240 stores nationwide has closed its Barrow town centre location.

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Game – British video game retailer – is leaving Portland Walk with huge signs announcing the closure.

The signs read “all stock must go” in a closing down sale at the shop.

Fans have reacted to the news, saying it is their “favourite” store.

One person commented: “Nar it needs to stay open I love going to that shop.”

Another one added: “Oh no I wonder why generations to come won’t know what a shop is .there will be signs just saying no human contact needed. To shop.”

But no need to panic yet – as the store is set to re-open in a new location.

A spokesperson for Frasers Group said: “GAME Barrow is relocating to our nearby Sports Direct Barrow store, providing customers with access to more of the Group’s brands under one roof.

“The new, elevated GAME store is set to open late Spring.”

Barrow branch has been a fan-favourite with 4.2 star reviews on Google.

Reviewers have described it as “friendly” store with great bargains.

One person wrote: “Love going in game and seeing the bargains and asking advice on my tech very friendly staff.”

Another one added: “Really friendly staff and a really good range of games in the store.”

“Great deals to be had,” someone else said.

Game has closed several branches in recent months, including those in Wales and Oxfordshire.

The retail giant has closed its Saint Marks Place store in Newark, Notts earlier this week.

Meanwhile, two were closed last year in Plymouth and Cambridge.

Game will also close its store in Union Square Shopping Centre in Torquay, Devon.

The retailer was bought by billionaire businessman Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group in 2019 as part of a £52million deal.

But by January 2020 it had announced plans to close 40 of its more than 300 stores across the UK.

As of today, there are over 240 Game stores nationwide.

What is happening to the high street?

The high street has taken a hit in recent years with more than half a dozen chains shutting vast swatches of stores between them.

Big brand names have crashed into administration leaving empty shop fronts in villages, towns and cities across the UK.

This includes M&Co, Paperchase, popular discounter Wilko and in more recent months Ted Baker and The Body Shop.

Many retailers have been forced to act and close stores in recent years, especially following the Covid-19 pandemic.

Figures from the Centre for Retail Research revealed that over 10,000 shops closed permanently in 2023, with almost 120,000 jobs lost.

This was down from 2022, when 151,641 jobs were lost and over 17,000 shops closed their doors for good.

High energy and wage costs have piled pressure on businesses while high inflation has seen shoppers hold off on spending their hard-earned money.

It has seen some retailers grappling with budgets and forcing them into closing some of their stores in a bid to cut costs and stay afloat.

Others have been forced to call in administrators to try and balance bank balances.

The Body Shop collapsed into administration in February putting its almost 200 stores at risk of shutting.

Sixty six stores have already closed for good, including seven which shut with immediate effect in February.

Wilko tumbled into administration last August before a flurry of potential buyers expressed an interest in buying the retailer.

But sadly, a buyer for the whole business couldn’t be found and it then announced that all 400 shops would close.

However, a number of other chains stepped in to purchase some of the chain’s former stores, including Poundland, which bought 71.

Fans of Paperchase were devastated when the retailer disappeared from the high street in April last year.

Its 134 shops all closed after it fell into administration, including its concession stands in Next and Selfridges.

However, supermarket giant Tesco bought the rights to the brand and announced in early October that it would be returning just in time for Christmas.

This post first appeared on thesun.co.uk