Iconic high street shoe shop loved by parents with 300 locations saves branch from closure as future of others in doubt

A HIGH street shoe shop run by a major retailer has been saved from closure – but the future of some of its other branches are still in doubt.

Clarks, with over 300 UK sites, had planned to pull down the shutters on its branch in Riverside Shopping Centre, Norwich, this month.

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But a worker at the store confirmed to The Sun it is to remain open.

Clarks still has plans to close its stores in Westwood Cross Shopping Centre, Broadstairs and Newport Retail Park in Wales in November.

We have asked the retailer the exact dates these branches will close and will update this story when we have heard back.

It comes after Clarks closed a number of its stores across the UK this year.

The retailer pulled down the shutters on its branch in Murrygate, Dundee, in July.

Then followed its branch in Fareham shopping centre on August 5 and its Inverness store in September.

It also closed its shop in Grimsby at the end of October and store in Newcastle under Lyme on November 3.

At the end of 2022 it closed the doors of two stores in Ashford and Gillingham in Kent.

It’s not the only chain closing branches across the UK either – the high street has taken a battering in recent months and years.

Figures from the British Retail Consortium reveal 6,000 retail outlets have closed their doors for good in the last five years.

The trade association said the closures are in part due to “crippling” business rates and the impact of Covid lockdowns.

B&M, Byron Burger, Cineworld, Farmfoods, M&S, Sports Direct and WHSmith are also closing a handful of stores between them before the end of the year.

Meanwhile, Boots is pulling down the shutter on eight stores.

Several noticeable brands have gone bust completely this year too, including Wilko, Paperchase, M&Co and Cath Kidston.

It’s not all bad news though, as a number of retailer are opening branches and expanding their portfolios, including Clarks.

It has opened eight branches across the UK this year, including in Taunton, Reigate, Manchester and London.

Meanwhile, in July, B&M said it would open several new branches within weeks following a string of closures.

Poundland also has plans to open 75 new stores by Christmas, with many popping up in former Wilko sites.

One Beyond, which currently has 107 branches, could take on up to 10 former Wilko sites too.

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This post first appeared on thesun.co.uk