A MAJOR supermarket has confirmed it will be closing a city centre superstore and it has left shoppers furious.
Sainsbury’s has confirmed it will be closing a major superstore in York early next year.
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The massive superstore is located in Foss Bank will close in January 2025 due to an expiring lease.
The Foss Bank has been around for more than 40 years, first opening in 1984.
The nearest store for shoppers in the area will now be Sainburys Monks Cross supermarket.
Many locals took to Facebook to share their frustration at the news for many it came as a shock.
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One shopper said: “Gutted, I use it every morning,”
Another said: “Awful news for staff and customers, we’ve been shopping there since it opened!”
“Such as shame,” said someone else.
A Sainsbury’s spokesperson said: “Last week we shared the difficult news with colleagues at our York Foss Bank supermarket that the store will close next year.”
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“We have announced to colleagues that the supermarket will close at the expiry of our lease in January 2025.
“We have been in discussion with the landlord and having reviewed all options carefully, we understand our landlord is looking at regeneration and development of this site. We will therefore be vacating the store when our lease comes to an end.”
“We understand this will be an unsettling time for everyone this affects and we are committed to doing everything we can to support them, including offering opportunities for our colleagues to redeploy to alternative roles within Sainsbury’s.
“We intend to transfer the store’s groceries online department to our nearby Monks Cross supermarket, enabling us to transfer the jobs it supports along with it as well as offer customers greater choice when shopping online.”
Last year the retailer closed eight stores whilst confirming another 14 stores would open by the end of this month.
However, Sainsbury’s has probably been more focused on its banking services which are due to close and it is moving its focus to groceries.
The retail giant confirmed Sainsbury’s Bank, which has over 1.9 million customers, would enter a phased winding down.
Sainsbury’s has not yet revealed a time frame but has said it will tell customers well in advance about changes.
But it’s not all bad news, Costa announced last month it would be opening 11 new sites in Sainbury’s supermarkets.
The cafes hope to make shopping more convenient for customers.
What is happening to the high street?
Many retailers have been struggling to get by over the past few years.
The pandemic was a tough blow as many stores had to close during lockdown.
Since then energy costs have risen and more shoppers than ever are choosing to order online rather than head into stores.
This has left some retailers grappling with budgets and having no choice but to close stores to cut costs.
For the most part, supermarkets have braved the storm as they provide essential items like food and drink.
Asda opening 21 new stores this year and it builds plans to covert 470 stores it has acquired from Co-op.
Other retailers have not been so lucky, The Body Shop is currently going through administration and announced plans to close half of its 198 stores with seven already closing last week.
Boots revealed it would be closing 300 stores over the next year as part of plans to evolve its brand.
WHSmith told The Sun it has no plans to open anymore more high street stores as it wants to focus on the travel side of its business.
Major banks have also announced multiple branch closures.
Barclays is to start pulling the shutters down on 14 sites in England, three in Wales and three in Scotland as soon as April.
Even charity shops are struggling Oxfam confirmed it would close eight of its UK stores last year.
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Retailers closing stores in 2024
RETAILERS have been feeling the squeeze since the pandemic, while shoppers are cutting back on spending due to the soaring cost of living crisis.
High energy costs and a move to shopping online are also taking a toll, and many high street shops have struggled to keep going.
Here’s a list of all the big-name brands closing stores this year:
- Argos – The brand announced plans to close 100 standalone UK branches last year as it looks to move away from the high street and focus on expanding its presence in supermarkets.
- B&Q – The chain has over 300 shops across the UK, so chances are you have one near you, but some stores have closed in recent months.
- Boots – The health and beauty chain announced that it would be closing 300 stores last July. Closures are ongoing and this will see the retailer’s estate reduced from 2,200 to 1,900 shops.
- Clintons – Clintons mulled plans to close 38 shops in a bid to avoid insolvency late last year. We’ve listed the stores affected.
- Costa Coffee – The caffeine giant has around 2,000 sites nationwide, so chances are you’ll have one near you. The chain has shut the doors to dozens of its sites recently. We’ve revealed which stores are due to close this year.
- Iceland – The supermarket has more than 900 stores but closed nearly two dozen sites in 2023, and more selected shops are due to shut.
- Lidl – The supermarket, which has 950 stores, is changing up shop locations, which has meant that some stores have to close. But the retailer is also looking to open 12 new supermarkets.
- M&S – M&S, which runs 405 stores across the country, has been closing a string of branches across the country in a blow for shoppers. It’s not all bad news, though, because the chain also has big plans to open dozens of new shops as well.
- Trespass – The firm announced in July last year that it was closing six branches, but more are on the way.
- WHSmith – The retail giant, which runs over 1,100 stores, has shuttered eight stores since March 2023, but more are coming.
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