Store closures have plagued high streets across the UK for months, with several brands having already closed shops this year.
Boots, the health and beauty giant is among retailers that have closed the most shops and will be joined by Lidl and Costa Coffee in shutting shops in March.
While some sites have a few weeks to go until they cease trading, others will be gone for good by tomorrow.
Retailers have various reasons for shutting long-standing branches, though many have been affected by changing shopping habits.
Pharmacy closures by Boots in particular have been credited to attempts to streamline services and remove standalone pharmacies when there are larger stores nearby.
Boots
The retailer announced plans to reduce its store count from 2,200 to 1,900 last year and has axed dozens of pharmacies since.
Now 10 more sites are expected to disappear from high streets this March in the latest phase of closures, including two in Wolverhampton.
Boots pharmacies closing down in March
- Pool, Redruth, Cornwall – March 1
- North Kenton, Newcastle – March 3
- Welwyn Garden City, Wales – March 9
- East Parade, Heworth, York – March 9
- Sprowston, Norwich – March 16
- Castlecroft, Wolverhampton – March 21
- Rainham, Kent – March 30
- Bradmore, Wolverhampton – date to be confirmed
- Welwyn Garden City, Wales – March 9
- East Parade, Heworth, York – March 9
Lidl
The budget supermarket has closed five branches in England already this year, with the latest to go in Thornaby, Stockton-on-Tees today.
In another crushing blow to shoppers, Lidl will axe one of its Bristol sites later this week. Fans of the brand who frequent the store on High Street, Hanham, Bristol will see the shop close down for good on Friday, March 1.
Costa Coffee
As of January 2024, Costa Coffee had the most units among the leading coffee shop chains in the UK with 2,677 outlets. But the popular high street cafe has since closed several sites, including two in February.
The chain is set to bid farewell to yet another one of its shops this week on Friday, March 1. Costa fans who frequent the site on Erdington High Street, Birmingham will see it gone for good.
Costa says it regularly reviews its store estate across the UK to ensure it’s right for its communities and teams.
Marks and Spencer
M&S has confirmed the loss of yet another branch following a wave of closures. The high street giant informed staff at the Hexham shop in Northumberland of the closures earlier this week, though an exact date is yet to be announced.
It comes as part of the retailer’s “store rotation programme”, which started in 2022 when M&S revealed that it was shutting 67 “lower productivity” stores as part of a wider 110 stores earmarked to close. Major branches in the likes of Manchester, Swindon, Birmingham, and Sunderland have closed since.
The Body Shop
The long-standing beauty chain recently collapsed into administration, leaving more than 50 of its stores at risk of closure.
Last week the retailer announced that it would shut down almost half of its 198 branches as a result, seven of which were earmarked for imminent closure. No dates have yet been confirmed though some Body Shop sites could be axed in March if the brand is not saved.
WHSmith
In June 2023, the retailer confirmed it would not be opening any more high-street branches.
The company claimed that opening high street stores would “just be a duplication”, and that it was looking to focus on growing its portfolio outside the sector.
While no branches are expected to close down in March, shoppers in Margate, Kent will bid farewell to their WHSmith store on April 20, 2024.
