A MAJOR high street brand will pull the plug on one of its stores today – as “devastated” locals mourn the shop’s closure.
HMV will shut its doors for the final time at its store in Pescod Square Shopping Centre in Boston, Lincolnshire.
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Shoppers have flocked to express their disappointment as a retail apocalypse continues to pummel UK high streets.
“Devastated. Perhaps one of the only reasons I visit Boston,” one local wrote on Facebook.
A second added: “Another closure?! I can’t believe this!”
A third user chimed in: ” “Another sad loss for our town.
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“We all need each other to survive! Tough times for us retailers.”
A spokesman for HMV previously said: “It is with considerable regret that we have decided to close our Boston shop.
“Shifting consumer behaviours in the town and a lack of investment in its retail district has meant that it is no longer a sustainable location for us.
“We have been in contact with all store staff and are looking to offer them new roles elsewhere in the business where that is possible.
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“We’d also like to thank all our customers over the years for their patronage.”
More high street closures
Many retail chains are set to close down branches in 2024 and some left the high street altogether in 2023.
Rising costs and a lack of customers through the door have made it difficult for even the largest retailers to survive.
Possibly the biggest shock of last year was the collapse of popular discount chain Wilko.
It disappeared from the high street after failing to find a buyer to take on the whole business.
The Range bought the Wilko brand name and website, and since then has opened up three concept stores in Plymouth, Exeter and Luton.
Stationary chain Paperchase also went bust in 2023 but has since re-appeared in certain branches of Tesco.
Other retailers such as Boots, Poundland and Jack Wills all closed branches in 2023.
According to the British Retail Consortium, 6,000 retail outlets have closed down since 2018.
More changes are in store for 2024 too as some major retailers look to shake up their portfolios.
Large retailers such as Boots, Costa Next and Sports Direct are set to close down some locations.
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We have the full list of shops closing down in 2024 including branches of Argos and WHSmith.
