A HUGE high street chain with 1,400 branches is set to close another store as shoppers say “I’ll have to walk twice as far”.
WHSmith is set to pull down the shutters on its shop in Union Street, Aberdeen city centre, in the oncoming weeks.
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A spokesperson told us: “It is no longer sustainable to trade from this location and the difficult decision has been taken to close the store in February.
“We are grateful for the commitment of our in-store colleagues who we will support with this transition and redeploy to nearby stores, where possible.
“We look forward to continuing to serve the local Aberdeen community from other nearby stores including in the St Nicholas centre.”
The news of the closure has devastated local residents.
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One 74-year-old man told Scotland’s Press and Journal newspaper that he had been visiting the shop for as long as he could remember.
He said: “This is a huge hit for the community, especially considering the post office will be gone.
“I remember when it was John Menzies in the 60s, and even remember the shop before that.”
Another local pensioner said that she was worried about how far she’d have to travel to the nearest remaining Post Office.
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She said: “I find it difficult enough to walk to the Post Office here, now I’ll have to walk twice as far.
“I rely on it for communicating with my family and friends.”
North East MSP Liam Kerr is pleading with the government to open up a new Post Office elsewhere in the area.
He said: “It is bad enough to see another good business leaving Union Street, which has been struggling along with many other high streets.
“Many people depend on local Post Office counters for irreplaceable face-to-face services – not just mail but finance, as banks keep pulling out of Aberdeen.”
The store is expected to close for good on February 17.
It is currently unclear how many staff members are going to be affected by the closure.
The Union street shop is the latest in a string of WH Smith branches to have shut over the last year.
A spokesperson for the retailer told The Derbyshire Times: “We are sorry to confirm that our WHSmith store in Alfreton will be closing at the beginning of January 2024.
“We are very disappointed to be losing our presence in the town, however, unfortunately, we are unable to continue to trade viably from this location.
“We would like to thank all our customers for their support and for shopping with us.”
The retailer is also set to shut its branch in Ramsgate, Kent, in the next few weeks.
WHSmith also closed their Bicester branch on August 30, and its Newcastle-under-Lyme branch shut permanently just a few months before.
In June, WHSmith’s boss Carl Cowling said it had no plans to open any more UK high street stores.
He said that the retailer is refocusing its efforts on UK airports and train stations, as well as looking to expanding in the US and Europe.
In recent months, a number of UK retailers have been forced to shutter their stores.
As consumers flock to online shopping, small and large businesses alike have felt the pinch of the shift away from physical branches.
Wilko‘s fall in August 2023 marked the biggest British retail collapse since McColl’s plunged into administration in May last year.
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Paperchase collapsed into administration at the end of January 2023 this year and all 106 stores closed for good.
Scottish clothing brand M&Co were also among many other familiar brands that went bust in 2022.
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