A MAJOR coffee chain with 14,000 locations is set to close one of its iconic department store branches today.
Costa Coffee will be bringing down the shutters for the final time on the shop in House of Fraser, Cheltenham, in just hours.
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In yet another blow to the high street, owners of Cavendish House – the historic 201-year-old building where Costa is – confirmed the entire store will shut down in April.
However, the coffee giant will stop serving customers on Saturday.
The latest closure from the chain comes as a number of stores across the country cease trading.
A Costa Coffee Spokesperson said: “As the Nation’s Favourite Coffee Shop we regularly review our store estate.
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“We invest heavily in opening new stores, relocating stores and investing in store designs to ensure they are right for the customers and communities they serve.
“We have exciting plans across our property estate in 2024.
“As well as opening at least 50 brand new stores, including many relocations, our store refresh programme will upgrade hundreds of existing stores in communities, towns, and cities up and down the UK.
“This includes investing in store team training, updating store designs and furniture, introducing our new delicious freshly baked in-store range and installing new innovative technologies.
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“Our significant store investment programmes have a positive impact on local economies and communities, creating additional job opportunities whilst enhancing the coffee shop experience for customers.
“We are committed to growing and improving our store offering, investing in local communities’, local teams and welcoming customers into warm and welcoming environments.”
Costa shops that have closed 2023/2024
EACH of the sites closed have further Costas nearby, which you can find using the locator tool on the chain’s website.
- Coliseum retail park in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire – June 3
- Welch Way, Witney – June 5,
- Wigan town centre – June 25
- Five Rise Shopping Centre, Bingley – July 9
- High Street, Worcester – July (relocated September 15)
- Lowestoft’s North Quay retail park – July 23 (refurbishment)
- Church Street, Oakham – September 15
- West Bridgford, near Nottingham – September 22
- Commercial Street, Newport, Wales – October
- Church Street in Malvern, near Worcestershire – November 17
- Gatwick Airport South Terminal – November
- Packhorse Road, Buckinghamshire – January 10
- King Street, Maidstone, Kent – January 20
- Chiswick High Road, London – February 6
- Bruntsfield Place, Edinburgh – February 15
- Erdington, Birmingham, March 3
What else is happening on the high street?
Retailers are feeling the pinch since the pandemic and many are struggling to stay afloat.
High energy costs and rents mean many big companies are starting to slim down on the number of high street stores they operate.
We have seen several big losses in the last 12 months including popular discounter Wilko and stationary brand Paperchase.
More recently, health and beauty chain The Body Shop has fell into administration and announced the closure of many of its 200 stores.
Other retailers such as Iceland, Boots and Matalan have been slimming down the number of stores they have on the high street.
Just this month Boots has announced that it will be closing a total of nine sites, as part of its wider plans to get rid of 300 locations.
These closures will see the retailer’s total shops reduced from 2,200 to 1,900.
Marks and Spencer is another retailer that has been making changes to its store portfolio.
In 2022, M&S announced that it would be shutting 67 “lower productivity” stores as part of the 110 stores it had already earmarked for closure.
However, it was not all bad news for M&S shoppers as where some stores closed, others opened up in new locations.
We have the full list of chains opening stores in 2024 – see if one is coming to a high street near you.
Is it all bad news?
The answer to that is no, some retailers are expanding despite the difficult trading conditions.
Primark recently confirmed plans to open new branches and invest and renovate more than a dozen of its existing shops.
Meanwhile, Asda is massively expanding its portfolio of smaller Express stores, with plans to open 110 new stores.
Popular discounter B&M also said it had plans to open 17 new sites in 2024 with some set to open imminently.
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Also earlier this year WHSmith confirmed it would be opening up 15 new shops, but they would not be on the high street.
We have the full list of chains opening stores in 2024 – see if one is coming to a high street near you.
This post first appeared on thesun.co.uk
