SEVERAL major high-street brands are closing shops for good across the UK this week.
Retailers have been feeling the pinch since the pandemic while shoppers are cutting back spending due to soaring inflation.
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When prices are going up it squeezes people’s incomes, meaning many are forced to shop less – and that’s bad news for shops, restaurants and pubs.
High energy costs and a shift to shopping online after the pandemic are also taking a toll and many high street shops have struggled to keep going.
Some well-known retailers are shutting a handful of branches, while others are set to disappear completely from the high street.
But not every retailer is shutting stores for good – some are expanding.
Next is opening two new outlet stores in England and Wales in April.
Discount retailer TK Maxx is reportedly on the hunt to open 28 new stores as part of expansion plans.
Poundland is also opening up 12 new stores across the UK this year.
But in the meantime, B&M, Clintons, Iceland and M&Co are all bringing the shutters down at some stores this week.
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B&M
B&M is closing its Kilmarnock branch in the Queens Drive Retail Park on March 26.
Shoppers have been flocking to the bargain store’s aisles for mega deals ahead of them shutting their doors.
The retailer has already closed its Stockton store in the Castlegate Shopping Centre.
Bristol is also losing its B&M shop in Broadwalk Shopping Centre in early April.
Clintons
One of the UK’s biggest card retailers Clintons has just closed two stores for good.
Its store in Whitehaven, Cumbria and Swindon both shut on Sunday, March 19.
Bolton’s Market Street store is set to close by the end of the month too, although a specific date has not been confirmed.
Iceland
Iceland, known mostly for stocking frozen goods, is closing down three further stores by the end of month – two of which will occur this week.
Iceland’s South Street store in Newport, Isle of Wight will shut for good on Saturday, March 25.
The St Catherine’s Place shop in Bedminster, Bristol will also close on the same date.
Iceland will also close its store in the Deiniol Centre, Bangor on Monday, March 27.
M&Co
All 170 M&Co stores are set to close forever and some shops have already confirmed when they’ll shut their doors for good.
It comes after the retailer, previously called Mackay’s, fell into administration for the second time in two years in December 2022.
M&Co’s brand and intellectual property was sold to Yours Clothing but the stores weren’t and are set to close.
M&Co’s Wick and Fort William stores will close for good on Saturday, March 25.
More stores will bring the shutters down for good later on in April.
What other stores are closing this year?
Halfords, House of Fraser and even high street giant M&S are among some of the retailers closing stores this year.
Stationery retailer Paperchase is already in the process of closing branches too.
A number of banks and building societies are set to close within days.
Barclays is set to close four branches this month, including in Birmingham, Sittingbourne and Torquay.
Meanwhile, NatWest is closing five branches and Santander is pulling down shutters on three on March 30.
Halifax is also closing one branch on March 29.
If you are worried about your local bank branch closing, you’ve got some options.
You can always switch to a different bank or building society that has a branch closer to you.
Or, if you don’t want to switch, you can use one of the Post Office’s 11,635 branches to carry out most basic banking tasks.
Some banks run “mobile banking services” too where they bring a bus to your local area offering the services normally available at your nearest physical branch.
It’s worth contacting your bank if you’re struggling to get to your nearest branch to see if they offer such a service.
