A DIY chain with over 150 stores is shutting more shops next week and shoppers fear they’ll miss out on “the best” Christmas decorations.
Homebase is set to close two stores on Sunday, December 3.
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The DIY chain will shortly bring the shutters down on two stores, one in Plymouth and one in Oxford.
The stores were originally meant to shut their doors in November.
Its shop in Marsh Mills Retail Park in Plymouth will close for the final time next weekend.
A spokesperson for Homebase previously said: “We’ll be closing our Plymouth Marsh Mills store in November, an exact date is yet to be confirmed.”
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Customers will have to travel 30 miles east to get to the next closest store in Newton Abbot after the Plymouth store shuts.
At the same time, Homebase bosses have also confirmed that its store on Southam Road in Banbury will shut on Sunday.
Posters in the store read: “All stock reduced” as “everything must go”.
Customers will have to travel 15 miles to get to the next closest store in Bicester after the Banbury store shuts.
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Shoppers have been reacting to the news on social media since the closures were confirmed in October.
Reacting to the news on Facebook, a shopper posted: “Nooo. I love buying my Christmas decorations from here.”
Another said: “Gutted I love Homebase why can’t B&Q go or Wickes go.”
A third wrote: “Soo sad to see yet another good store leave Plymouth.
“I always go there for my paint and accessories. They have such a good choice which I have not seen anywhere else.”
Another wrote: “So very sad to see another one going, What’s next?”
And a fourth added: “Another shop to go, just like all the rest.”
The retailer is also set to pull the plug on its shop at the O2 Centre on Finchley Road in London on December 10.
It comes after the retailer shut its Newport store in South Wales on September 8.
Homebase has closed 93 stores since it was taken over by Hilco Capital in 2018.
Hilco bought the hardware store chain for £1 from Australian firm Wesfarmers, which paid £340million for what has been dubbed one of the “most disastrous takeovers ever seen”.
Wesfarmers is known for its Bunnings chain in Australia. It attempted to transform Homebase into its own DIY brand.
Prior to the Hilco takeover, Homebase had 250 stores at its peak and 12,000 staff.
But Homebase soon returned to profit after it entered a CVA agreement and restructured its business.
The retailer recently launched a huge gardening sale with some items up to 50% off.
It comes after a tricky time for the British high street.
Shoppers have been cutting back spending, which means some outlets have struggled to keep going.
Brick-and-mortar stores have also seen a lack of footfall due to consumer habits switching to online shopping.
Figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) this summer found the UK had lost 6,000 stores over a five-year period.
Among the closures are big brand chains and independent retailers.
Boots is set to close several more stores this month as part of its plan to shut 300 shops over the next year.
Cineworld is closing a much-loved branch tomorrow and customers are devastated.
Clarks has also shut a store located in Newport Retail Park in Spytty for good in November.
Home Values in the Queensmere shopping centre in Slough is said to pulling down the shutters before Christmas.
Plus a beloved jewellers is set to close its doors next month after 188 years in business.
While a raft of stores are set to close, shoppers have reason to be cheerful as other retailers are actually expanding this year.
The Sun recently revealed discount retailer Costco is expanding in the UK and is planning to open 14 more warehouses over the next two years.
Bonmarche is opening at least seven new stores after filing for administration in 2019, while The White Company is due to open new stores in October and November.
Once-huge bakery chain Patisserie Valerie, which also collapsed into administration and closed most of its stores, has started reopening branches, as revealed by the Sun.
We also recently revealed bakeries Wenzels, Greggs, Dunkin’ Donuts and The Cornish Bakery are all in the process of expanding in the UK.
Meanwhile, a major high street chain with 1,400 stores in the UK is set to close a branch in the next few days.
Plus, here are all the 22 shops and chains closing doors before the end of the year after an “apocalyptic” era for high street.
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