HUNDREDS of shops and major chains are closing down this year.
Retailers are feeling the pinch due to high inflation, which was sitting at 10.1% in January.
GettyHundreds of high street stores are closing their doors forever this year[/caption]
High inflation causes a squeeze on people’s incomes – meaning many are forced to shop less.
Although prices are down from December’s rate of 10.5%, it’s still five times higher than the Bank of England’s target of two per cent.
Combined with high energy costs and a shift to shopping online after the pandemic – many high street shops have struggled to keep open.
Energy and fuel costs have all been hit by a pandemic hangover, the war in Ukraine and a shortage of essential workers which has put immense pressure on businesses.
Here’s a full list of retailers affected by soaring costs.
Boots
Boots has confirmed it will be closing three stores in the UK this spring.
The stores are located in:
Salford Shopping Centre, Greater Manchester – shutting February (no specific date confirmed)Church Street, Malvern – shutting March 11The Port Arcades Shopping Centre, Ellesmere – shutting March 11
Boots has confirmed these closures were pre-planned and no other branches are known to be shutting.
The chain has over 2,200 stores across the UK.
B&Q
B&Q is set to close eight “mini-shops” located inside Asda supermarkets for good within weeks.
The stores will close for good from March 11.
The DIY retailer will look to launch smaller stores along the high street instead.
B&Q’s eight locations set to shut are:
Sheffield DrakehouseDagenhamRoehamptonEdmontonThurmastonGreat BridgeLancasterHartlepool
Homesense
Homesense, owned by TK Maxx, will also be shutting up shop in Manchester’s Arndale Shopping Centre.
The store will close on Wednesday, March 1, meaning customers wishing to visit the brand will have to venture further out of the city to the Trafford Centre.
Swansea will also lose its Homesense store currently located at Parc Fforestfach which be relocated by the end of March.
House of Fraser
House of Fraser is set to shut up shop in two more locations as it battles to keep a presence in the retail sector.
The department store will also close its Cardiff branch in the iconic Howells building after it recently launched a major clearance sale.
And now it’s understood the Birmingham department store could also be at risk.
It has turned the city-centre store into an outlet, whilst slashing the prices of all stock with messaging that reads “all stock must go.”
These big “closing down” style events usually precede a store closure.
H&M
H&M has started closing branches across the UK as high street retail struggles.
The clothing brand’s closures include branches in Burton and Maidenhead.
It’s also confirmed another two closures will happen in Hartlepool and Isle of Wight – but it’s unclear when the shutters will close for the final time.
These closures will be permanent.
Lloyds Pharmacy
The pharmacy chain is withdrawing its services from hundreds of Sainsbury’s stores.
Lloyds outlets will close across 237 Sainsbury’s branches:
AlpertonAltrinchamAmblecoteApsley MillsArcher RoadArnoldAshton MossBadge FarmBagshot RoadBallymenaBamber BridgeBanburyBarnstapleBarnwoodBathBeaconsfieldBerrydenBicesterBiggleswadeBishop AucklandBlackheathBognor RegisBoltonBramingham ParkBrentwoodBridgendBroadcutBrookwoodBurnleyBurphamBury St EdmundsBybrookCalcotCannockCanterburyCarlisleCastle PointChaddesdenChadwell HeathChafford HundredCharlton RiversideCheadleChesterChesterfieldChichesterChippenhamChiswickChristchurchCobhamColdhams LaneCoreys MillCourt House GreenCramlingtonCrayfordCromwell RoadCrystal PalaceDarlingtonDartfordDentonDidcotDome RoundaboutDulwichDunstableDurhamEast FiltonEast GrinsteadEast MayneEast Prescot RoadEastleighEdenthorpeEllesmere PortElthamElyEmersons GreenExeterFairfield In ParkFallowfieldFarlingtonFarnboroughFosse Park FromeGlen RoadGloucester QuaysGodalming GrimsbyHadleighHalifaxHampdenHankeridge FarmHarlowHarrogateHaverhillHayesHaywards HeathHazel GroveHeatonHeaton ParkHedge EndHendonHerefordHeyford HillHigh WycombeHoddesdonHorshamHuntingdonI.O.WKeighleyKempshottKempstonKentonKidderminsterKidlingtonKiln LaneKings LynnLadbroke GroveLarkfieldLeamingtonLee GreenLeeds MoortownLeekLetchworthLewes RoadLincolnLiverpool (Woolton)LocksbottomLondon ColneyLongwater LaneLoughboroughLow HallLutonMacclesfieldMaidenheadMansfieldMarsh MillsMarshall LakeMeadowbankMelkshamMere GreenMertonMilton KeynesMonks CrossMorecambeNantwichNew BarnetNew Cross GateNewburyNewbury ParkNewcastle U LymeNewhavenNewportNewton AbbotNine ElmsNorth CheamNorthfieldNorthwichOldburyOsmastonPaigntonPenzancePenrithPeterboroughPinhoe RoadPound LanePrestonPurley WayQueens RoadRedband RoadReedswoodRice LaneRichmondRomfordRugbyRustingtonSaleSalfordScarboroughScunthorpeSedlescombeSevenoaksShoreheadShrewsburySloughSouth RuislipSouthendSouthportSpaldingSpringfieldSt AlbansStanmoreStanwayStirlingStraitonStreathamStroudSudburySunderlandSunderland NorthSury BasinSwadlincoteSwanseaSydenhamTadleyTalbot HeathTaplowTeam ValleyTelfordTewkesbury RoadThanet WestwoodcrossThetfordThornhilTorquayTruroTunbridge WellsUpper NorwoodUptonUrmstonWakefieldWaltonWarlinghamWarren HeathWatchmoor ParkWater LaneWednesfieldWeeden RoadWelwyn Garden CityWest GreenWest Park FarmWhitechapelWhitehouse FarmWhitley BayWhitstableWiganWinchmore HillWinnershWinterstoke RoadWitney
But it remains unclear when these closures will take place.
M&Co
The retailer fell into administration for the second time in two years at the start of December.
Administrators at Teneo put the bust business up for sale with an auction deadline for interested buyers.
And while the M&Co brand has been bought by Yours Clothing, the stores haven’t.
The sale of the brand means M&Co’s 170 shops will close forever, putting 1,910 jobs at risk:
AirdrieAlexandriaAlnwickAltonAshbourneAttleboroughAyrBanffBecclesBathgateBellshillBelperBerwickBeverlyBexhillBillericayBillinghamBlairgowrieBlandford ForumBognorBridgnorthBridlingtonBridportBrighhouseBromsgroveBroughty FerryBuckiBuckinghamBurgess HillCalneCamborneCanvey IslandCastle DouglasCheshamChester Le StreetChristchurchCleveleysClitheroeCongletonCoshamCrewkerneCromerCrowboroughDartmouthDealDidcotDingwallDiss DorcheshterDriffieldDunoonEast GrinsteadEast RetfordEghamElginExmouthFakenhamFarnboroughFavershamFLeetForfarFormbyFort William
FritonGarstandGlenrothesGosportGuisboroughHaddingtonHaverhillHawickHelensboroughHenley on ThamesHeswallHexcham HitchinHoveHunstantonIlkleyInchinnan OSCInvernessInverurieIrvineIsle of ManJohnstoneKirkintillochLanarkLargsLauncestonLerwickLewesLiskeardLlandudnoLouthMaltonMarchMarket HarboroughMarlowMarpleMatlockMelton Mowbray]Midsome NortonMilngavieMineheadMonmouthMontroseMusselburghNailseaNairnNantwichNewportNewquarNewton MearnsNorthallertonObanOrkneyOswestryOtleyPaisleyPenarthPershorePerthPeterheadPetersfieldPortisheadRayleighRickmansworthRingwoodRiponRomseyRydeSaffron WaldenSaltcoatsSandbachSeafordShaftesburySidmouthSittingbourneSleafordSw AndrewsSt IvesSt NeotsStamfordStonehavenStornowayStourport on SevernStowmarketStroudSudburySurbiton TavistockTeighmouthTenbyTewkesburyThornburyThursoTroonUpminsterUttoxeterWarminsterWellsWelshpoolWest KirbyWetherbyWhitbyWhitehavenWhistableWickWickfordWishawWuthamWokinghamWoodbridge
Paperchase
Paperchase announced its online operations will close today February 17.
This comes ahead of the closures of its 106 high street stores.
The stationery retailer collapsed into administration earlier this month after it failed to find a buyer.
Supermarket giant Tesco stepped up to buy rights to the brand, but the following stores will close for good:
AltrinchamArnottsBasingstokeBathBatterseaBelfastBerkhamstedBeverleyBirmingham Grand CentralBirmingham New StBirmingham SelfridgesBishopsgateBishops StortfordBluewaterBracknellBraeheadBrighton Bristol Bromley Bury Bury St EdmundsByres RoadCambridge Canterbury Cardiff St DavidsCheapsideChelmsford Cheshire OaksChesterChichester Chiswick ColchesterCribbs CausewayDerby DundeeDundrum Durham Edinburgh Edinburgh MorningsideExeterFinchley RoadForestsideGlasgow BuchananGuernseyGuildfordHarrogateHenley on ThamesHerefordHitchinIslingtonJerseyKings Cross Station Kingston LakesideLeamington SpaLeeds Commercial StreetLeicester LewesLincoln London BridgeMaidstone ManchesterMarble ArchMeadowhall Merry Hill Metro CentreNewbury NewcastleNext AintreeNext Birmingham Junction 9 Next Bolton Next Bournemouth Next Camberley Next Crawley Next Enfield Next Gloucester Next Handforth Dean Next Hanley Next Ipswich Next Kirkcaldy Next London Colney Next Luton Next Maidstone Next Manchester ArndaleNext Norwich Next Oxford StreetNext PlymouthNext Selly OakNext Shoreham Next Solihull Next Straiton Next Wolverhamptom Next York Northcote RoadNottingham OxfordPerthPeterborough Plymouth Putney RingwoodRushdean LakesSailsbury Sevenoaks Sheffield Silverburn Solihull Southampton StainesSt Albans St Andrews St Pancras CircleSt Pancras Station Street OutletSwindon Taunton TelfordTrafford Centre SelfridgesTunbridge WellsVictoria Station Walton on ThamesWandsworthWattington Waterloo Station WatfordWhiteley VillageWhite Rose LeedsWimbledon WinchesterWindsorWokingWorcesterYorkYork Outlet
Wetherspoon
The pub chain has confirmed that a number of sites it has marked for closure have been sold or are currently under offer.
Here is the full list of pubs which have been sold:
Harvest Moon, OrpingtonAlexander Bain, WickChapel an Gansblydhen, BodminMoon on the Square, BasildonCoal Orchard, TauntonRunning Horse, Airside Doncaster AirportWild Rose, BootleEdmund Halley, Lee GreenThe Willow Grove, SouthportPostal Order, WorcesterNorth and South Wales Bank, Wrexham
Below is a full list of pubs that are currently under offer.
It doesn’t mean that the sale is guaranteed, and it could still remain open if it doesn’t complete.
Cliftonville, HoveTollgate, Turnpike LaneAsparagus, BatterseaMillers Well, East HamHudson Bay, Forest GateAngel, IslingtonThe Billiard Hall, West BromwichCapitol, Forest HillThe Bankers Draft, ElthamMoon on the Hill, HarrowLast Post, Loughton
Here’s a full list of pubs still on the market:
The Butlers Bell, StaffordWorlds Inn, RomfordSilkstone Inn, BarnsleyWrong ‘Un, BexleyheathThe Percy Shaw, HalifaxJolly Sailor, HanhamThe Alfred Herring, Palmers GreenThe Moon & Bell, LoughboroughThe Widow Frost, MansfieldResolution, MiddlesbroughFoxley Hatch, PurleyThe Rising Sun, RedditchSennockian, SevenoaksAdmiral Sir Lucius Curtis, SouthamptonThe Colombia Press, WatfordThe Malthouse, WillenhallThe John Masefield, New FerryThe Crosse Keys, PeeblesLord Arthur Lee, FarehamThe Saltoun Inn, FraserburghGeneral Sir Redvers Buller, CreditonPlough & Harrow, HammersmithThomas Leaper, DerbyThe Bank House, Cheltenham