A number of stores are closing across the UK this month, with the British Retail Consortium revealing that 1,000 large-format stores have shut in the last five years
Over a dozen high street chains, including Marks and Spencer and Hobbycraft, are set to close their doors across the nation this month.
This follows the revelation by the British Retail Consortium that over the past five years, 1,000 large-format stores have been forced to shut due to escalating costs.
Poundland in Havant, Hampshire, is scheduled to close on 28 September as part of a wider restructuring plan following its sale to investment firm Gordon Brothers for a mere £1 earlier this year.
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The Original Factory Shop in Market Drayton, Shropshire, will also be closing its doors on 20 September amidst a major restructuring that will see 22 branches close down.
Marks & Spencer in Wolverhampton, West Midlands, is set to close on 27 September, with the brand currently seeking a new location for a food-only venture.
New Look in Harrow, Greater London, will be shutting up shop on 17 September, following a trend of store closures across the UK and a complete withdrawal from Ireland, resulting in the closure of 26 stores.
GAME in Bristol is set to close on 25 September, while the Chatham, Kent branch will close later in the month. Following the purchase of the company by Frasers Group in 2019, stores are being transformed into concessions within the group’s stores.
This move comes as an increasing number of gamers choose to buy video games digitally rather than visiting physical stores, leading the retailer to scale back operations and streamline costs, reports the Express.
Hobbycraft is set to shut down its Maidenhead and Chichester stores on 18 September, its Crayford store on 20 September, its King’s Lynn store on 22 September, its Stafford store on 28 September, and its Wigan store at some point this month.
The chain was snapped up by Modella Capital last year and has since been undergoing a restructuring process, resulting in several store closures.
The retailer stated that these measures were crucial for securing a robust and sustainable future amidst an “increasingly challenging retail environment”.
Meanwhile, the Pret A Manger in Oxford, Oxfordshire, is due to close its doors on 18 September, with staff being reassigned to nearby branches. The food chain shuttered 30 stores in response to the pandemic and transformed all of its Veggie Prets into standard Prets last year.
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