THE high street continues to take a hit as three major retailers gear up to shut five stores between them before the end of the month.
Lidl and Iceland are among those closing branches between now and February 29 in a blow for shoppers.
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It comes with the Body Shop set to axe its Body Shop at Home service on February 23, impacting thousands of consultants.
Sellers who used the service, which works much like Avon, reacted with devastation following the news it would be winding down.
One said she “genuinely loved” the business, while another thanked her “family” of customers.
Meanwhile, The Body Shop has plunged into administration, putting 200 stores at risk of closure and potentially jobs too.
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For now, below’s the list of retailers that have confirmed they will close branches before the end of the month.
Matalan
Matalan, which currently runs over 230 UK stores, is pulling down the shutters on one of its sites before the end of the month.
The retailer, known for selling everything from clothing to home and kidswear, is closing its store in The Core Shopping Centre on The Headrow, Leeds, on February 24, according to local news reports.
A spokesperson told The Yorkshire Evening Post it was “working closely with our affected colleagues and doing all we can to find suitable positions in our local store network”.
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Shoppers’ next nearest branch is in Lower Wortley, on the outskirts of the city, around three miles away.
Customers for the supermarket have reacted with devastation after discovering the branch will shut.
Famous Brick Lane bagel shop famed for ‘never closing’ shuts its doors
One wistful shopper said: “The Leeds I knew has almost gone now, so sad the market is no longer a market as it was 10 years ago, the shops are dwindling fast I’m now 70 and it’s taken all the spirit from our lovely Leeds.”
Another angrily commented: “It’s getting silly,” while a third added: “I hate going into Leeds Centre and the way it’s going in the future I wont be going there at all I will just find somewhere else to go.”
Iceland
Bargain supermarket chain Iceland, with more than 900 UK stores, is pulling down the shutters on one of its branches within days.
The retailer’s shop at the Rugby Central Shopping Centre in Warwickshire will welcome in customers for the final time on February 24.
A spokesperson confirmed the news to The Sun, with shoppers up in arms about the closure.
One said: “Things are NOT getting better, are they?”
Meanwhile, a second added: “First Wilko now this, there will be no stores left at this rate!”
And a third added: “It’s a shame. It’s just going to be a ghost town.”
Lidl
German discounter Lidl is pulling down the shutters on three stores later this month, with all closing on the same date.
One is closing at the Churchill Way Retail Park in Leyland, Lancashire, on February 29.
The retailer said it is shutting the site as it is “no longer fit for purpose”.
Meanwhile, two branches are closing in Stockon on Tees and Bradford on the same date.
But it comes alongside’s Lidl’s plans to massively expand its portfolio by hundreds of sites.
Why are retailers closing stores?
The high street has taken a hit in recent years with thousands of shops pulling down their shutters.
Recent figures from the Centre for Retail Research revealed over 10,000 shops closed for the last time in just 2023, with almost 120,000 jobs lost.
It was fewer shops than had been lost for several years, and a reduction from over 150,000 jobs lost in 2022.
But the figures still serve as a reminder the retail sector is struggling due to wage and energy pressures, as well as shoppers increasingly turning to online shopping.
Wilko and Paperchase were some of the biggest names to suffer, both plunging into administration.
But it’s not all bad news for the high street, and some are opening branches, including before the end of February.
B&M will open a branch in Arnold, Nottinghamshire, on February 21, while cutting the ribbon on a store in Thamesmead, London, a day later.
On February 23, a further branch will open in Beaumont Lays, Leicester.
One Stop is opening a new store in Doncaster in February 22.
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And Nando’s is in the process of opening 14 new UK restaurants after returning to profit for the first time since the pandemic.
The peri-peri chicken chain originally planned to open 14 new sites in the UK this financial year, which runs from February 2023 to February 2024.
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