Sadly the dying high street trend continues and more stores – including some high street favourites – will be closing across July. Here are all of the retailers pulling down their shutters for good this month
A handful of popular British high street chains are closing stores for good this month.
The British high street has struggled over the last few years which has caused a large number of shops to pull down the shutters. The 2020/2021 Covid-19 lockdowns, cost of living crisis, alongside restructuring plans and high rents, a large number of businesses have had not other choice but to closure their brick and mortar stores.
According to figures from the Centre for Retail Research, almost 10,500 shops closed for the final time in 2023. This 12-month period also saw over 119,000 jobs lost across the sector. Sadly the trend continues and more stores – including some high street favourites – will be closing across July. Here are all of the retailers pulling down their shutters for good this month.
Card Factory
The Card Factory store on Teviot Walk in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, will be shutting its doors for good on July 20. A Card Factory Spokesperson told the Glasgow Times that it continually reviews its estate across the UK and Ireland and the decision to close this site was that another one was close by.
The spokesperson said: “With our other Cumbernauld store just around the corner in the Antonine Shopping Centre on Forth Walk, (0.2 miles away), we have taken the decision to close our store on Teviot Street from July 20. We look forward to continuing to serve all our Cumbernauld customers and helping them celebrate their special life moments.”
The Works
Towards the end of the month on July 26, The Works store in Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland will be closing. According to local reports, the store will shut down due to the retailer being unable to agree new terms on its lease. A spokesperson for the arts and craft retailer explained: “This has been a great location for The Works, but sadly we have been unable to agree on suitable lease terms to stay. We apologise for any inconvenience caused by this closure and would like to thank customers for shopping at the store over the years.”
In these instances, the Works says it “does it best” to relocate its store staff where possible. It also noted that once the closure is complete then its nearest store will be in Morpeth.
B&M
The discount retailer will be pulling down the shutter on its store in Gainsborough later this month on Wednesday, July 17. However shoppers should not be disappointed by the news, as the site is actually being moved from its current location on 4-20 Lord Street to the former Wilko’s site in Marshalls Yard. The new bigger store will be opening its doors for customers a few days later on Saturday, July 20.
The budget shopping chain has set ambitious targets for store openings over the next few years, including boosting its number of current stores from over 700 to around 950, with many set to open this year.
B&Q
Earlier this year the high steer DIY retailer announced it would be closing its Sudbury site after 12 years with its final day of trading being July 20. The reason for the closure was down to the expiration of the lease. In a statement on the closure, a B&Q spokesperson told local media: “The landlord has secured planning permission to redevelop the site and to occupy the B&Q unit themselves.”
Robert Dyas
Hardware retailer Robert Dyas will be shutting its Castlepoint store in Bournemouth on July 20. A spokesperson told the Sun that the landlord had served notice as the unit would be split into two. The retailer said it would “not be able to mutually agree terms in bidding for one of the new units”.
The spokesperson said: “We will leave that store on July 20, and continue to look for an additional and appropriate new site in the area, as it is a strong performing store for us. The next nearest stores in the meantime, for our loyal Robert Dyas customers, are Poole and Christchurch.”
Poundland
Poundland will be shutting two stores in July, with the first closing earlier this week on July 2 and the second later in the month on July 16. Poundland’s store on Freeman Street in Grimsby only opened seven months ago after taking over a former Wilko store. However, the discount retailer said it was “unable to secure a long-term lease” on the site.
Poundland’s Hitchin store – set to close later this month – has also been unable to secure a long term lease which has forced it to close. A spokesperson said: “I’m afraid we’ve been unable to secure a long-term lease that would enable us to keep trading – we know how disappointing this will be to customers and colleagues. Whenever we have to close a store, we do all we can to look for other opportunities for colleagues and that work is now underway.”
Peacocks
The fashion retailer Peacocks, on Holywell High Street in Flintshire, Wales, is closing down its shutters for good on July 25. The news was delivered to customers through a sign placed in the window according to reports from The Leader. The sign read: ” Closing Down – 25th July 2024 – Visit our nearest store at Unit H, Flintshire Retail Park, Flintshire, CH6 5GB”. Peacocks has not confirmed the reason behind the closure.
Co-op
The Co-Operative is shutting down one of its convenience stores on Weston Road in Meir, Stoke-on-Trent. This site will close on July 13. The shop has been sold to Nisa who will be taking over the contract, and according to reports from Stoke on Trent Live, staff will have their roles transferred over.
A Co-op spokesman said: “Co-op regularly reviews its stores and the decision to sell any store is only taken after careful consideration. Our Meir store is being sold and a key priority has been to safeguard local jobs. Colleagues, who have been informed and are being fully supported, will transfer to the new operator. The new store will operate as a Nisa store, meaning that Co-op favourite products will remain available locally. We would like to thank the Meir community for their support of the Co-op.”