SEVERAL major shops and chains are closing dozens of branches before the end of the year.
Some stores will be replaced with brand new shops while others will disappear from the high street forever.
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Boots is closing eight stores, many of which provide community pharmacy services, before the end of 2023.
Budget supermarket Iceland is closing stores in two locations and Tesco is closing one of its popular Express stores.
DIY chain Homebase is closing two stores in November and a third in December.
B&M, Byron Burger, Cineworld, Farmfoods, M&S, Sports Direct and WHSmith are also closing a handful of stores before the end of the year.
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The cost of living crisis, stubbornly high inflation and energy costs are taking their toll on retailers.
Shoppers have been cutting back spending, while the cost of actually running a store has also increased, meaning some outlets have struggled to keep going.
Figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) this summer found the UK had lost 6,000 stores over a five-year period.
Several major brands have also collapsed and closed stores for good.
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Wilko’s fall in August marked the biggest British retail collapse since McColl’s plunged into administration in May last year.
Paperchase collapsed into administration at the end of January this year and all 106 stores closed for good.
Scottish clothing brand M&Co and wellies retailer Joules were among a host of other familiar brands that went bust in 2022.
Rick Smith, managing director of insolvency experts Forbes Burton, told The Sun: “What many are calling the exodus of the high street will no doubt continue unabated if something isn’t done to stop it.
“The main issues, which are many, include a combination of high rent, lack of footfall, and continuing high energy prices will continue to be a disaster for retailers.
“Add to this the continuation of high tax rates for businesses, the retail and particular high-street landscapes will look apocalyptic in the not-too-distant future.”
Here’s a full list of some well-known shops and outlets that will be shutting branches before the end of the year.
Boots
Boots is set to close several more stores this month as part of its plan to shut 300 shops over the next year.
The pharmacy chain will be closing the following branches this month:
- Kings Square, York – October 28
- Warminster – October 28
- Guildford Road, Woking – end of October
- Gorleston, Great Yarmouth – November
- High Row, Darlington – November 3
- Mudge Way, Plymouth – November 18
- Mount Pleasant, Exeter – November 18
- Kirkby Ashfield – November 18
- Cambridge Road, Stanstead – January 6
- Margate, Kent – January 20
- Wood Street, Swindon – February 9
- Front Street, Prudhoe – no date
It comes as the retailer looks to consolidate its portfolio of UK outlets from 2,200 to 1,900 in the coming months.
B&M
B&M is closing another shop in weeks but shoppers have been promised “bigger and better”.
The bargain retailer is closing its store in Westmorland Retail Park, Cramlington on Saturday, November 4.
However, the closure forms part of the chain’s relocation plans as it is set to open a bigger replacement store just down the road.
The new Cramlington store will be located in Manor Walks Shopping Centre and it will open to shoppers on Saturday, November 11.
Byron
Burger chain Byron is closing its restaurant on George Street, Oxford, at the end of the month, according to staff.
The site will be pulling down the shutters for the final time on October 29.
It comes after Byron collapsed into administration in January and announced the immediate closure of nine sites.
The move left more than 200 employees out of a job.
Cineworld
Cineworld is closing a much-loved branch within weeks and customers are devastated.
The popular Cineworld branch in Hengrove Leisure Park, South Bristol, is set to be demolished to make way for a housing estate.
To make matters worse for locals, this is also the last standing cinema in the area – and it will be gone forever on November 26.
Clarks
Clarks has confirmed it’ll shut its store located in Newport Retail Park in Spytty for good.
A spokesperson for Clarks told the South Wales Argus: “Clarks confirms its store at the Newport Retail Park, Newport, will close in late 2023.
“We have a strong duty of care to all our employees, and we are working closely with the store team as they now go through a period of consultation.
“Customers can continue to shop from our full range of products online and at our nearby Clarks stores in Cwmbran, Caerphilly, and Cardiff.”
It’ll also shut in Westwood Cross Shopping Centre in Kent in mid-November.
Farmfoods
Farmfoods will shut its supermarket in Tranent, East Lothian, for good at the end of October.
The discount supermarket will pull the shutters down for the final time on Sunday, October 29.
It remains a favourite among bargain hunters as it often has cheap offers on popular products like makeup and air fryers.
Locals have shared their sadness after hearing about the closure on social media.
Homebase
Homebase has announced the closure of two stores in November and a single branch in December.
The DIY chain will shortly bring the shutters down on its store in Marsh Mills Retail Park in Plymouth.
At the same time, Homebase bosses have confirmed that its store on Southam Road in Banbury will shut next month too.
Homebase is then pulling the plug on its shop at the O2 Centre on Finchley Road in London on December 10.
Iceland
Bargain supermarket Iceland is set to close two more branches by the end of October.
It has already shuttered 17 stores this year including in Crewe and Birkenhead.
Its store on Trinity Street in Huddersfield will close on October 28, while its Fulford Road branch in York will also shut for good at 4pm on the same day.
M&S
Marks and Spencer is set to close another store permanently this month.
The store in Swindon was marked for closure in August and now the date it will shut for good has been confirmed.
According to local news reports, a large sign has appeared on the front of the store stating that it will close for the final time on October 28.
Sports Direct
Popular sportswear retailer Sports Direct is set to close its Coventry store later in October.
The Central Six Retail Park branch will close this month, although an exact date has not yet been confirmed.
Sports Direct is part of The Frasers Group, which has been opening new stores over the last few weeks.
Tesco
The Mount Plesant Tesco Express in Liverpool will be permanently closing on November 15.
It’s a tough blow for students as the shop is located next to Liverpool John Moores University on “Mount Pleasant” campus.
The supermarket giant announced the closure of the store with a sign in the shop window.
All staff currently working at the stores will have the option to be redeployed to other stores in the area.
Wetherspoons
Beloved pub chain Wetherspoons has made a raft of closures this year in a devastating blow for fans.
Wetherspoons has closed 34 pubs in the last 18 months and has plans to close dozens more.
Wetherspoons currently has 27 pubs up for sale – 17 are still available while ten are under offer.
The 17 Wetherspoons that are currently up for sale and at risk of closing are:
- The Pontlottyn, Abertillery
- The Ivor Davies, Cardiff
- Spa Lane Vaults, Chesterfield
- The Gate House, Doncaster
- The Market Cross, Holywell
- The Regent, Kirkby in Ashfield
- The Mockbeggar Hall, Moreton
- The Hain Line, St Ives
- The Sir Norman Rae, Shipley
- The Sir Daniel Arms, Swindon
- The White Hart, Todmorden
- Jolly Sailor, Hanham
- Resolution, Middlesbrough
- The Rising Sun, Redditch
- Sennockian, Sevenoaks
- Lord Arthur Lee, Fareham
- Plough & Harrow, Hammersmith
Ten of the following pubs are under offer too:
- The Butlers Bell, Stafford
- Wrong ‘Un, Bexleyheath
- The Percy Shaw, Halifax
- The Alfred Herring, Palmers Green
- Foxley Hatch, Purley
- The Cross Keys, Peebles
- General Sir Redvers Buller, Crediton
- Asparagus, Battersea
- Millers Well, East Ham
- Coronet, London
WHSmith
WHSmith is closing a number of stores before the end of 2023.
WHSmith has a huge sale as it looks to pull the shutters down in one Manchester store for good before the end of the year.
The bookshop and stationery retailer will close its store on Manchester’s Market Street on Saturday, December 2, according to The Manc.
Meanwhile, the retailer is set to shut its branch in Ramsgate, Kent, at the start of 2024.
WHSmith is also set to pull down the shutters on its shop in Alfreton, Derbyshire, in January 2024.
What about store openings?
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.
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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.
