SHOPPERS have been left in shock after a major outdoor retailer with 60 UK branches gears up to close one of its locations for good.
Regatta has announced it is shuttering its shop inside the Dockside Outlet Centre in Chatham, Kent, on February 3.
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A spokesperson for the retailer, which sells everything from waterproof jackets to trousers and footwear, confirmed the closure to The Sun.
They said: “Regatta did not take the decision to close the store at Chatham’s Dockside Outlet Centre lightly.
“The closure comes following challenging footfall in the centre and to coincide with the store lease coming to an end.”
The spokesperson added staff were informed of the closure within notice periods.
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News of the closure has been met with shock by local residents and shoppers.
One said: “There won’t be anything left here soon,” while a second said: “Many more units will be closing soon.”
A third commented: “Another one bites the dust” and a fourth simply added: “Shame!”
It comes after a number of other outdoor clothing retailers have announced store closures in recent months.
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Just last week, Go Outdoors said it would be permanently closing one of its Express stores in Warrington, Cheshire.
The retailer did not say when the store will close, but signage at the front of the store indicated it would not be open for much longer.
It comes after a Go Outdoors branch in Oxford, shut for the final time in December.
Meanwhile, Trespass, with over 300 UK stores, pulled the plug on its stores in Blackburn, Lancashire, just yesterday, in a shock blow to locals.
The retailer announced in July last year it would be shutting six branches in the following months.
In December, Millets, known for its outdoor clothing, footwear and equipment, announced it was pulling down the shutters on a store in Wokingham after launching a closing down sale.
It came after the retailer closed branches in Inverness and Mansfield.
The high street has been hit hard in recent years as shoppers increasingly turn to online retail and away from physical branches.
Soaring inflation in 2023 saw households cut back on spending too, as retailers contended with high energy and wage costs.
Recent data from the Centre for Retail Research reveals over 10,000 shops closed for the final time in 2023, while 120,000 staff across the sector lost jobs.
Some notable brands went bust, including Wilko, Paperchase and M&Co.
Meanwhile, pharmacy chain Boots announced it would be consolidating its portfolio of branches from 2,200 to 1,900 in June.
The retailer said it would only be closing stores in areas where there was more than one site though.
But it’s not all bad news for the high street, as a number of retailers have been expanding their portfolios.
B&M is also opening 17 new locations in January and February, including in former Wilko stores.
Asda also plans to open 21 new locations before the end of the month as well.
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Major brand WHSmith recently announced plans to open 15 new stores across the UK too.
Wilko has also since relaunched across the high street, while Paperchase has opened hundreds of concession shops in Tesco superstores.
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