Costa Coffee is the latest retailer to close UK stores with one of its branches set to lock its doors for good later this week.
The high street chain already bid farewell to the cafe on Chiswick High Road, London on February 6, and now will lose a site in Edinburgh.
A spokesperson for Costa Coffee revealed: “We can confirm that our Costa Coffee store on Bruntsfield Place will close its doors for trade on February 14, 2024.
“We apologise for any inconvenience caused. Customers can continue to enjoy their favourite Costa Coffee at our nearby store on Morningside Road.”
High-street shoppers won’t see the end of store closures after tomorrow, however, as five other retailers are set to follow suit.
The Body Shop
It was confirmed earlier today that The Body Shop’s UK business has collapsed into administration, raising the prospect of mass store closures and thousands of job losses.
The well-known beauty retailer, which has around 200 UK stores, was put into administration by its owners, the private equity house Aurelius, a matter of weeks after it was acquired in a £207million deal from its previous owners, Nature & Co.
Company directors of The Body Shop International Limited have now appointed Tony Wright, Geoff Rowley, and Alastair Massey of business advisory firm FRP as Joint Administrators of the company, which operates The Body Shop’s UK business.
Taking this approach provides the stability, flexibility and security to find the best means of securing the future of The Body Shop and revitalizing this iconic British brand. The Joint Administrators will now consider all options to find a way forward for the business and will update creditors and employees in due course.
A statement from the company read: “Taking this approach provides the stability, flexibility and security to find the best means of securing the future of The Body Shop and revitalizing this iconic British brand. The Joint Administrators will now consider all options to find a way forward for the business and will update creditors and employees in due course.”
Lidl
The budget supermarket lost its last remaining branch in Camden, London on Sunday, February 11, and will bid farewell to another later this month.
Lidl customers in Thornaby, Stockton-on-Tees will lose their local store on Thursday, February 29. It’s not all bad news though as the retailer has also shared plans to open 1,100 stores by the end of next year.
Matalan
Shoppers who frequent the Core Shopping Centre in Leeds will see it gone for good by the end of February. The branch will shut on Saturday 24, from which point colleagues will have to find other positions in other stores.
A spokesperson said: “We are working closely with our affected colleagues and doing all we can to find suitable positions in our local store network. Customers in the area will still be able to access our full range of products via our website.”
Boots
The popular pharmacy chain will continue to “consolidate the business” by axing sites where an alternative shop is already situated less than three miles away.
Just weeks ago, Boots in Wood Street, Swindon, closed down for good, and will swiftly be followed by the closure of its pharmacy in Clifton, York, on February 17.
A fourth store in Landford Road, Liverpool, will also close later this month, though an exact date is yet to be confirmed.
WHSmith
The high street giant opened its first store in 1792, but made significant changes to its property portfolio in 2020. WHSmith was previously known for its large shops which sold everything from stationery to books, though now operates much smaller stores.
Airports, railway stations and hospitals are now populated by the brand, while bigger stores disappear. As part of this migration, WHSmith will bid farewell to its branch on George Street in Oban on February 17.
