‘Retail is dead’ cry shoppers as high street jewellers with 100 locations closes ‘amazing’ store for good

A MAJOR jewellery chain has abruptly closed a popular shopping centre branch and it’s left shoppers in anguish. 

Ernest Jones has pulled the shutters down on its Warrington store for the final time. 

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The Golden Square Shopping Centre store is no longer in operation. 

Locals will now need to travel to the nearest Ernest Jones store, approximately 20 miles in Liverpool. 

The journey will take at least 40 minutes by car. 

A notice was been taped to the store door confirming the closure.

Locals took to Facebook to share their devastation at the news with many saying they were concerned about the future of the high street.

One user said: “Retail is dead, online has won.”

“So sad to see all the shops and pubs across the one great nation shutting!” said another.

A third user said: “Another one bites the dust.”

“This place is amazing.” said a fourth user. 

“Crying shame for the staff that work there,” said someone else. 

Ernest Jones told local media: “We can confirm that the Ernest Jones Warrington store is now closed.

“Closing a store is never a decision we take lightly, and so we are sorry to be leaving Warrington.”

The Sun has reached out to Signet Jewelers, which owns the Ernest Jones brand, for comment. 

What is happening to the high street?

Several high-street 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 remaining 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 is the only supermarket opening new branches, Lidl is looking for investors to build 12 supermarkets after opening two new stores last year.

But 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 closed.

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.

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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This post first appeared on thesun.co.uk