Bargain fashion chain with 100 branches shuts site for good after launching sale

A MAJOR retailer with 100 branches has permanently shut one of its stores after launching a giant closing down sale.

Select pulled down the shutters on its Ipswich site for the final time last Friday (June 7).

The chain announced the closure on its Facebook page at the end of May, launching a 50% off sale to clear stock.

It said: “Select Ipswich is sad to say that our store is closing for good, after many years of being in the Buttermarket Ipswich, we open our shutters for the last time on Friday, June 7, 2024 at 9am and will cease trading at 5:30pm on the same day.”

News of the closure was not met well by locals and shoppers when it was announced last month.

One person exclaimed: “The town centre is dead!”

Another added: “The amount of businesses surely goes to prove Ipswich is dying, on its knees and breathing its last.”

Someone else wrote: “I liked Select and bought quite a few clothes there.”

The Ipswich store had gained praise on Google Reviews in recent years, with one customer even branding it their “favourite shop”.

Another added: “Lovely stuff and great prices. Staff always seem happy and always happy to help you.”

A third commented: “Great, friendly staff.”

The Ipswich Select branch permanently shutting comes after the retailer closed a store in Ashford, Kent, in February.

The following month, the retailer shut down its branch in the Erith Riverside Shopping Centre in London.

WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING ON THE HIGH STREET

The high street has been hit hard in recent years as shoppers turn to online retail, a trend made worse by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Businesses have also had to cough up more on energy, wages and business rates.

It has seen some shops forced to close permanently in a blow for customers.

Retailers closing stores in 2024

RETAILERS have been hit by soaring inflation and a downturn in spending due to the cost of living crisis.

High energy costs and a move to shopping online are also taking their toll.

Some high street shops have closed due to businesses opening up in different locations such as larger retail parks.

Shops may also close due to a number of other reasons, such as rising rents.

We explain which retailers are closing in 2024:

• 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, with two stores closing this year due to leases not being renewed. It has plans to open more in 2024 too.
• 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.
• 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 shut eight stores since March 2023, but more are coming.

Some major retailers have fallen into administration, including Ted Baker, Wilko and The Body Shop, seeing hundreds of shops close and thousands of workers lose their jobs.

It’s not all bad news for the sector though, as some chains have been expanding on the high street and in retail parks.

Poundland, Lidl and Aldi have all been opening branches across the UK, as shoppers turn to more budget-friendly options.

Aldi said it wants to open hundreds more stores in the coming years, setting its sights on operating 1,500.

Health and beauty retailer Superdrug recently said it wants to open 25 new branches across the UK.

Asda has been opening hundreds of convenience stores in recent months as it looks to rival major players Tesco and Sainsbury’s.

B&M also plans to open “not less than” 45 brand new stores across the UK in each of the next two consecutive years.

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