Strings of closures have swept the nation as the cost of living rises, energy bills soar and some businesses continue to feel the knock-on effect from the Pandemic.

1

Even industry giants have fallen victim to high street closures in recent months.

It comes as shoppers have been forced to slash their spending while the cost of running stores has also increased.

Figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) this summer found the UK had lost 6,000 stores over a five-year period.

Boots

Popular beauty retailer Boots sadly announced it will be pulling the shutters down on 300 shops over the next year, following several closures in 2023.

Here is the full list of stores closing by the end of the year:  

• Mudge Way, Plymouth – November 18
• Mount Pleasant, Exeter – November 18
• Front Street, Prudhoe – no date

This comes after seven branches shut their doors in October, and two earlier this month.

Meanwhile shoppers were shocked to see eight pulled the plug from February to August.

A spokesperson for Boots said: “We can confirm that the stores listed are part of the Boots store consolidation programme previously announced. ”

All team members from these stores will be offered alternative roles.

Tesco

Supermarkets have also succumbed to the same fate, with Tesco revealing the upcoming closure of a Liverpool branch on November 15.

The Mount Plesant Tesco Express in the city will be waving goodbye for good, much to the disappointment of students.

The move followed an announcement last month that the industry giant was closing two other branches after it decided to scrap its new brand Jack’s. 

Tesco closed seven of its Jack’s supermarkets permanently last year, while six others were transformed into new Tesco superstores.

The Jack’s stores were originally launched in a bid to take on rival bargain retailers Lidl and Aldi. 

But four years later Tesco has decided to close all its Jack’s stores due to lack of customer demand.

However, Tesco fans should be happy to hear the household name still has around 2,800 locations open and shoppers can find their nearest one using the store locator tool on its website.

Lidl

Meanwhile, discount food shop opponent, Lidl, have also seen their fair share of locations shut down.

A branch in Beckenham unveiled their imminent closure on Wednesday, November 16.

Their message read: “We’re closing on November 16 at 6pm, but you’ll love your Bromley North, Bromley Town Centre and West Wickham stores.”

It follows closures in Drayton Road, Mile Close and Sturry Road, Canterbury earlier this year.

Lidl also shut up shop in Redditch town centre this summer.

But it’s not all bad news for Lidl shoppers.

The discount retailer is planning to rollout hundreds of new branches across the UK.

The full list, of which there are 1,168 locations, includes sites across all areas of Great Britain – including: 66 in Scotland, 83 in Yorkshire, 83 in central England, 91 in south London and 42 in south-mid Wales.

Plus, the retailer has confirmed a new store target of 1,100 stores by the end of 2025, creating 4,000 new jobs.

B&M

Bargain hunters will be devastated to learn the discount retailer closed yet another shop.

A branch in Westmorland Retail Park, Cramlington was given the axe on Saturday, November 4.

However, the closure forms part of the chain’s relocation plans as it unveiled a new Cramlington store on Saturday, November 11.

Cineworld

Film fans were heartbroken to hear the popular cinema chain are closing a branch in Hengrove Leisure Park, South Bristol.

To make matters worse for locals, this is also the last standing cinema in the area – and it will be gone forever on November 26.

Trident Retail Park Cineworld in Runcorn is also closing for good on the same date.

Clarks

Clarks has confirmed it’ll shut its store located in Newport Retail Park in Spytty for good in November.

It will also say goobye to its branch in High Street in Newcastle under Lyme by the end of 2023.

The Clarks store at the Riverside retail park in Norwich is set to close in November, according to local news reports.

It’ll also shut in Westwood Cross Shopping Centre in Kent in mid-November.

Here is the full list of closures announced so far:

• Westwood Cross Shopping – mid November
• Newport Retail Park – mid November
• Riverside Retail Park store in Norwich – November
• High Street in Newcastle under Lyme – by end of 2023

Homebase

Homebase has announced the closure of two stores in November and a single branch in December.

The DIY chain will shortly bring the shutters down on its store in Marsh Mills Retail Park in Plymouth.

At the same time, Homebase bosses have confirmed that its store on Southam Road in Banbury will shut next month too.

Homebase is then pulling the plug on its shop at the O2 Centre on Finchley Road in London on December 10.

M&S

The M&S store in the Eagles Meadow Foodhall in Wrexham was among those marked for closure, and now a final trading date has been confirmed.

Shoppers will be able to visit the store for the final time on Thursday, November 30.

The news comes after M&S revealed it will permanently shut ten of its stores and relocate to new sites this year.

Wetherspoons

Wetherspoons has closed 34 pubs in the last 18 months and has plans to close dozens more.

Wetherspoons currently has 27 pubs up for sale – 17 are still available while ten are under offer.

The 17 Wetherspoons that are currently up for sale and at risk of closing are:

• The Pontlottyn, Abertillery
• The Ivor Davies, Cardiff
• Spa Lane Vaults, Chesterfield
• The Gate House, Doncaster
• The Market Cross, Holywell
• The Regent, Kirkby in Ashfield
• The Mockbeggar Hall, Moreton
• The Hain Line, St Ives
• The Sir Norman Rae, Shipley
• The Sir Daniel Arms, Swindon
• The White Hart, Todmorden
• Jolly Sailor, Hanham
• Resolution, Middlesbrough
• The Rising Sun, Redditch
• Sennockian, Sevenoaks
• Lord Arthur Lee, Fareham
• Plough & Harrow, Hammersmith

Ten of the following pubs are under offer too:

• The Butlers Bell, Stafford
• Wrong ‘Un, Bexleyheath
• The Percy Shaw, Halifax
• The Alfred Herring, Palmers Green
• Foxley Hatch, Purley
• The Cross Keys, Peebles
• General Sir Redvers Buller, Crediton
• Asparagus, Battersea
• Millers Well, East Ham
• Coronet, London

It comes as other high street brands have also announced closures in recent months.

One fashion retailer with 400 stores confirmed more of its shops are set to pull the shutters down in days.

New Look has been shutting down several branches this year in a string of closures.

Meanwhile, a huge high street chain, with over 1,200 locations, shut another shop in a fresh wave of 100 closures.

Plus, several popular chains including M&Co and Paperchase, are also facing the same fate.

And, huge homeware brand, Habitat, is also set to disappear forever, with its last three standalone branches shutting.

Argos closed one of its standalone stores for the final time in September.

Plus, a beloved WHSmith shop in Crown Walk, Bicester, also shut its doors for the final time on August 30.