GAMING fans say the closure of a “fantastic” branch is turning their high street into a ghost town.
The retail giant with 240 stores nationwide has closed its Saint Marks Place store in Newark, Notts, today.
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Megan Sheldon, the assistant manager at Game Newark, told the Newark Advertiser in March: “I know a lot of people in Newark who love this store, and we absolutely adore it as well.
“It is a huge loss to Newark and hopefully something happens in the future and we can get another Game back here.
“It is definitely a massive loss to Newark. It is such a big community and we have a lot of regulars that come in and love this store as much as we do.”
The store was running a closing down sale, with most products marked down by 20 per cent.
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One said: “Sad to see this go – great shop to have in the town and fantastic staff.”
Another posted: “Will soon be just full of flats vape shops nail salon and coffee shops.”
A third wrote: “Literally won’t have any shops soon. Ghost town.”
Game has closed several branches in recent months, including those in Wales and Oxfordshire.
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Meanwhile, two were closed last year in Plymouth and Cambridge.
Game will also close its store in Union Square Shopping Centre in Torquay, Devon.
The retailer was bought by billionaire businessman Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group in 2019 as part of a £52million deal.
But by January 2020 it had announced plans to close 40 of its more than 300 stores across the UK.
As of today, there are over 240 Game stores nationwide.
What is happening to the high street?
Several other retailers have been struggling to get by over the past few years.
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.
Troubled fashion brand Superdry has said it is looking at various “cost-saving options” after reports it is considering a major restructuring which could include store closures and job cuts.
Boots revealed it would be closing 300 stores over the next year as part of plans to evolve its brand.
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.
But some shops are bucking the trend and opening new locations.
Primark said it will open five new branches, and one is coming in just weeks.
The Frasers Group has announced it will be taking over the former John Lewis site at Queensgate Shopping Centre, Peterborough to open another new concept store.
B&M is opening six new locations at the start of 2024, including in former Wilko stores it has taken over.
WHSmith has said it intends to open 15 new stores across the UK but they won’t be on the high street.
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Avon plans to open shops in the UK for the first time in its over 100-year history.
Costco is looking to open 14 new locations in the UK over the next two years, while Greggs will add up to 160 branches this year.
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