A string of store closures will occur over the coming days and weeks as major retailers pull down the shutters on branches across the UK.
Among them is the popular women’s fashion brand, Bonmarché, plus shoe shop giant Clarks. The two retailers will join Boots, Homebase, WHSmith and Pizza Hut in shuttering beloved British stores for good.
It follows months of changes to the UK’s retail landscape which has led to multiple chains falling victim to insurty challenges.
According to the Centre for Retail Research, approximately 804 stores closed and 16,565 retail jobs were lost during the first five months of this year alone.
Since then, major home improvement chain CTD Tiles has announced the closure of 56 branches. Most recently, supermarket giant Tesco shuttered a popular Express store just days ago on September 6 while Beales bid farewell to its store in Southport on September 7.
Stores closing this month
Homebase
Homebase will lock the doors for good at its branch in Cambridge Retail Park later this week. The store will close on Friday, September 13.
It comes after the retailer announced that it would shut a selection of its 144 locations as part of a deal with Sainsbury’s that cost more than £1million. Some sites will be converted into Sainsbury’s supermarkets after they close, though Cambridge is not on the list of those confirmed.
However, Homebase stores in Sutton Coldfield, Bromsgrove, Cromer, Derry/Londonderry, Fareham, Inverurie, Lowestoft, Newark, Omagh, and Rugby will be converted.
Bonmarché
Bonmarché has confirmed that it will close its branch in Arnold, Nottingham, on September 22. It is believed to be closing because the retail unit landlord has increased the rent.
Locals including MP Michael Payne shared their disappointment about the news. The MP said: “Bonmarché has been part of our community for many years, offering an essential service to numerous residents, including those with limited mobility who find it difficult to shop elsewhere or prefer not to shop online. The store has also been a vital source of employment for many dedicated staff members who have consistently contributed to the company and local area.”
It’s not all bad news though as Bonmarché confirmed plans to bring more stores to UK high streets between June 2024 and December 2025.
Clarks
The shoe shop giant will close its branch in Gowthorpe, Selby, in days. Clarks said the North Yorkshire town branch, labelled “amazing” by shoppers, will shut on Saturday, September 14.
Locals have taken to social media to express their disappointment over the closure, saying they’re “sad to see it go”. The retailer thanked local shoppers for their support over the years.
WHSmith
A staple of British high streets, WHSmith will close a popular high street store in Sale as part of its strategy to streamline operations and focus on more profitable locations.
The craft and stationery giant will bid farewell to its Stanley Square store this Saturday. A WHSmith spokesperson commented: “We can confirm that the WHSmith store in Sale will be closing on Saturday, September 14 owing to the landlord’s redevelopment plans.”
Boots
The pharmacy giant has not confirmed dates for September closures but has been shuttering sites following a review of its estate. Last year, the health and beauty retailer announced that it would close 300 branches, and more than 250 have since shut.
Stores earmarked for closure that remain open will have shut for good by the beginning of October. The move is aimed to reduce the chain’s store portfolio from around 2,200 to just 1,900.
Boots employs more than 52,000 team members, and it has said that these closures will not lead to any redundancies.
Pizza Hut
Fans of Pizza Hut who frequent the site at Surrey Quays Leisure Park will see the restaurant close its doors for good this weekend. The site will cease trading on Saturday, September 14 alongside neighbouring attractions Odeon cinema and Hollywood Bowl.
The triple closure is part of the redevelopment of the leisure park which will see the plot transformed into a housing estate with 384 new properties and a Tesco Extra store.
Several other high-street brands have already shut shops this month including Clarks which closed a branch in March, Cambridgeshire, on September 4.
A Homebase branch in Northampton’s Riverside Retail Park locked its doors for the final time on September 6 and WHSmith also bid farewell to its Bridgwater branch in Somerset on Saturday, September 7.