High street stores across the UK are boarding up at an increasingly alarming rate, with WHSmith, New Look, and Homebase all announcing recent closures.
Stationery shop WHSmith has already shut down six locations this year, with another 11 planned. However, the retailer is planning to open 110 new branches in airports, train stations, and hospitals.
To say goodbye, the chain launched “everything must go” sales, so people living near stores that are due to close this year can expect to find some bargains.
New Look has also already closed three of its shops this year, and its Porth, Rhondda Cynon Taf store in Wales is due to be shuttered on Saturday.
This comes after recent reports of the fashion retailer ramping store closures as more and more leases expire, raising fears of job losses for the 8,000 people it employs.
Roughly a quarter of New Look’s 364 locations in the UK could be at risk of closing down after the company reported a pre-tax loss of £3.7 million on sales of £735.4 million, The Times reports.
Lastly, Homebase will close a whopping 35 stores this year. Thirteen closed in January, including in Bradford, Cheltenham, Gloucester, Oldbury, Romford, and Wolverhampton.
Despite this, the company said: “All employee wages and benefits will be paid for their period of employment.” It added that its key focus is to “work closely with government agencies to provide support to affected employees”.
