SEVERAL major shops and chains are closing dozens of branches in 2024.
Some stores will be replaced or relocated while others will disappear from the high street forever.
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Argos, Next, Jack Wills and Poundland will all shut selected branches forever in the new year.
It comes as 6,000 retail outlets have brought down the shutters since 2018, according to the British Retail Consortium.
The trade association’s chief executive Helen Dickinson OBE blamed the closures on “crippling” business rates and the impact of coronavirus lockdowns.
Several major brands have also collapsed, such as Wilko and Paperchase.
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Here is the full list of shops shutting branches next year:
Argos
Argos will close its standalone store at the Overgate in Dundee city centre.
The store, located on the upper floor of the shopping centre, will shut for good in March 2024.
An Argos spokesman confirmed the news, describing it as a “difficult decision”.
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Argos has also confirmed that its branch in Kingstown, Carlisle will be shutting down too.
The site is set to close in March.
Earlier this year the retailer announced plans to close 100 stores within 12 months.
Sainsbury’s, which owns Argos, has said the move is part of plans to expand Argos’ presence in supermarkets.
It has already shut more than 45 branches in the last 12 months and opened up over 25 branches inside Sainsbury’s stores.
By March 2024, Sainsbury’s expects to have 160 standalone stores and between 430 and 460 Argos counters inside Sainsbury’s supermarkets.
Boots
Boots is a staple of the British high street, but many towns and cities could be set to lose their local branch.
The health and beauty chain previously announced it would be closing 300 shops over the next year, leading to a string of closures in 2023.
This will see the retailer’s total shops reduced from 2,200 to 1,900.
A total of 20 branches have already closed, in Leicester, York, Plymouth and Exeter.
And a further 16 are set to close shortly, with several shutting in the New Year.
Here is the full list of stores closing in the New Year:
- Cliftonville, Kent – January 20
- Pemberton, Wigan – January 26
- Hough Lane, Layland, Lancashire – to close in January
- Front Street, Prudhoe – no date
- Rhos on Sea – March 2024
- Colwyn Bay – April 2024
- Portland Walk, Barrow – no date
- Gestridge Road, Teignbridge – no date
- Caerleon Road, Newport – to close in early 2024
- Chepstow Road, Newport – to close in early 2024
- Carlyon Road, St Austell, Cornwall – to close in early 2024
- St Blazey, Cornwall – to close in early 2024
- Lurgan – no date
- Chard Road, Plymouth – no date
- Mannamead Road, Plymouth – no date
- Claremont Street, Plymouth – no date
Cardzone
“Store closing down” and “everything must go” signs have been spotted in the windows of the Reigate Cardzone branch.
Shoppers are also being offered up to 20% discounts on products.
A spokesperson for Cardzone told The Sun the store will close in early 2024 but did not reveal an exact date.
It comes after two other Cardzone stores shut their doors for good this year, with closing down sale signs spotted in windows, according to local news reports.
The retailer, which has stores across the UK, has shut branches in Kirkby in Ashfield and Beeston, both in Nottinghamshire.
Costa
Costa Coffee will close its store on Chiswick High Road by February 6, 2024.
The nearest Costa Coffee for locals will now be King’s Street in Hammersmith.
However it doesn’t look like the town will be without its coffee hit for long, local media reports two new coffee shops are expected to open in Chiswick soon.
Costa Coffee on Edinburgh’s Bruntsfield Place will serve its last latte on February 14, 2024.
The coffee chain, which has around 2,000 sites nationwide, has said goodbye to several branches already this year.
Flannels
Flannels in Market Place Shopping Centre, Bolton, will pull down its shutters for the final time in the new year.
It is not clear when exactly the store, which only opened in August after taking on the unit from Tessuti, will shut.
A spokesperson for Frasers Group, which owns Flannels, said: “It is with regret that we announce Flannels Bolton will be closing in early 2024.
“We would like to take this opportunity to thank our staff for their hard work and dedication.
“Where possible, we are committed to finding new roles within the Group for staff.”
Flannels sells several different brands in its stores, including designer apparel, accessories, and footwear.
It has been running since 1976 and was bought by Mike Ashley‘s Frasers Group in 2017.
The chain now has more than 60 stores across the UK, including its Flannels junior shops.
Game
Game is pulling down the shutters on its site at the Guildhall Shopping Centre in Exeter in January.
But it’s not all bad news as the branch is simply relocating to the nearby Sports Direct unit at Rydon Lane Retail Park in the city.
Signs in the current shop’s window say: “This store will close for relocation in January 2024.
“Game opening soon inside Sports Direct Unit 7 Rydon Lane, Exeter,” Devon Live reports.
It’s comes after “store closing, all stock must go” signs were spotted at another Game branch in Rugby, Warwickshire earlier this month.
Similar signs were clocked at a site in Nuneaton just months ago too, although it’s unclear when the store plans to close for the final time.
Jack Wills
Jack Wills is set to pull down the shutters on its store at the Galleries Shopping Centre in Bristol in January.
It had already started a closing down sale with 20% off items earlier this month, Bristol World reported.
Shoppers’ next nearest store is at The Mall in Cribbs Causeway on the outskirts of the city.
It follows a string of Jack Wills store closures across the UK, including its branch in St Andrews, Scotland, in October.
Next
Fashion retailer Next is pulling down the shutters on its branch in Hatfield on January 13, according to local news reports.
One shopper said they were “devastated” by the news, with another adding: “What is happening to our town?”
It comes after the chain said it would close 11 stores this year in a blow to shoppers.
The retailer said six of the closures were because it did not expect the stores to reach their target margins.
Two closures are site redevelopments, while the remaining three are taking place because an agreement couldn’t be reached with the site’s landlord.
Poundland
Giant discount chain Poundland is pulling down the shutters on its branch in Colwyn Bay, Wales, on January 5.
The retailer confirmed it had not been able to renew the lease for the store at the Bayview Shopping Centre.
Shoppers reacted with devastation at the news, with one simply stating: “There won’t be anything left soon.”
It comes with one other Poundland store near Basingstoke set to close within just days.
Sports Direct
Sports Direct, which runs over 500 stores in the UK, is gearing up to pull down the shutters on its branch at the Orbital Shopping Park in Swindon in the new year.
Customers’ next closest branch is based in Regent Street in the town centre.
A spokesperson for Frasers Group, which owns Sports Direct, said: “It is with regret that we announce Sports Direct Swindon in Orbital Shopping Park will be closing early 2024.
“We would like to take this opportunity to thank our staff for their hard work and dedication.
They added: “Where possible, we are committed to finding new roles within the Group for staff.”
It’s not the first Sports Direct branch to close in the last few months.
The retailer, owned by Mike Ashley’s, closed its store in the Central Six Retail Park in Coventry in October.
It also launched a giant closing down sale before shutting its branch in Blackpool in November.
Meanwhile, Sports Direct Fitness, owned by Sports Direct, shut its Salisbury site for good on December 11 to the shock of members.
WHSmith
The stationery retailer is also set to pull down the shutters on its shop in Alfreton, Derbyshire, in January 2024.
Smiths is set to shut its branch in Ramsgate, Kent, at the start of 2024 as well.
Earlier this year as part of its preliminary results the chain announced that it would close 22 stores to focus on finding better quality space.
In June, WHSmith’s boss Carl Cowling said it had no plans to open any more UK high street stores.
Instead, it is focusing its efforts on UK airports and train stations, as well as looking to expand in the US and Europe, he said.
Over the past 20 years, the retailer has significantly expanded its presence in airports and train stations.
It has also increased its offering at motorway service stations and US-based casino resorts.
What about store openings?
It’s not all bad news for pub chains and retailers, as some are opening branches in January.
B&M is opening two stores in Porthmadog and Washington on January 18 and January 26 respectively.
It will then open a branch in Harrow, London, on February 10, and another in Arnold, Nottinghamshire, on February 21.
The retailer will cut the ribbon on a branch in Thamesmead, London, on February 22 and Beaumont Lays, Leicester, a day later.
Asda has said it is on track to open 1,000 more sites throughout the UK and Northern Ireland by March 2024 too.
Meanwhile, Wilko also has plans to open more stores in January after reopening branches in Plymouth, Luton and Exeter.
Peacocks is also set to open six new stores soon.
Sephora, the cult beauty retailer, is set to open its third UK store in Manchester next summer.
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The opening marks the first Sephora store in the north of England.
The new store will be a megastore and is set to open in the city’s Trafford Centre.
