‘Nothing left’ as high street giant with over 1,400 branches closes stores TODAY in double blow for shoppers
SHOPPERS have been left gutted after a popular high street retailer with more than 1,400 stores shut one of its branches for good today.
The retail giant announced it would close a store in Berkshire last month.
WHSmith will no longer serve customers from its Slough branch after its lease renewal was said to be “unsustainable”.
The shop will be emptied today alongside the Post Office, with locals now having to take their baskets and letters elsewhere.
Their nearest WHSmith branch will be in Windsor and Maidenhead.
A spokesperson for the chain added: “We are disappointed to be losing our presence in this location and we would like to thank all our customers for their support and for shopping with us.
“We are also extremely grateful for the commitment of our in-store colleagues who we will support with this transition and redeploy to nearby stores, where possible.”
The store’s closure sparked a wave of fury among locals who are already grappling with a “ghosted” high street.
Shoppers said the move marks a significant blow to their town.
Hundreds of people took to Facebook to vent their frustrations.
One user said: “There is absolutely utter nothing left in Slough.”
“Slough used to be such a vibrant shopping centre,” cried another.
A third wrote: “RIP Slough High Steet.”
“The only other big name on the High Street now is Boots the Chemist – so sad,” a fourth user commented.
The retailer has 600 stores on the high street, along with more than 800 travel stores located in airports, train stations, hospitals, workplaces and motorway services.
As part of their preliminary results, the chain announced it would close 22 of its branches to focus on finding better quality space.
Last year, WHSmith’s boss Carl Cowling said it had no plans to open any more UK high street stores.
Instead, it is focusing its efforts on UK airports and train stations, as well as looking to expand in the US and Europe, he said.
Which UK stores are closing down?
WHSmith closed its branch in Crewe, Cheshire, in early 2023 in a blow for locals.
The site in the Victoria Shopping Centre welcomed in customers for the final time in March.
That same month, the stationer pulled down the shutters on its branch in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire.
In August, a store closed in Bicester, Oxfordshire, while a further site in Manchester shuttered for good on December 2, 2023.
In 2024, WHSmith closed four sites, including in Alfreton, Derbyshire in January, and Ramsgate, Kent, the same month.
In February, two further branches closed for good including in Oban, Scotland, and Nantwich in South Cheshire.
This is the full list of stores and their closure dates:
- Crewe, Cheshire – March, 2023
- Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire – March, 2023
- Bicester, Oxfordshire – August, 2023
- Manchester – December 2, 2023
- Alfreton, Derbyshire – January, 2024
- Ramsgate, Kent – January, 2024
- Oban, Argyll and Bute, Scotland – February, 2024
- Nantwich, South Cheshire – February, 2024
- Margate, Kent – April 20, 2024
It comes after nine retailers revealed they are closing stores between them in an ongoing blow to shoppers.
Recent years have seen the high street crumble as consumers increasingly turn to online retail.
The current cost-of-living crisis has resulted in households having less money to spend.
The knock-on effect on the high street has been devastating with many famous names shutting up shop.
Figures from the Centre for Retail Research, a research foundation, revealed almost 10,500 shops closed for the final time in 2023.
More than 119,000 people lost their jobs across the sector over the 12 months.
This is expected to continue, with several chains pulling down the shutters for the last time in May.
Next
The popular fashion retailer with more than 460 branches across the UK is set to close its site in Malvern within days.
Another one of its stores in Worcestershire shut at the beginning of this month, devastating locals.
It comes after Next said it would close 11 stores when it released its results last year.
But it’s not all bad news, as the retailer also opened four new outlet stores in 2023.
Poundland
Major discounter Poundland, which has around 800 branches across the UK, shut its stores in Bishop’s Stortford and Hertfordshire on May 4.
Both had been open for just six months after they took over from a former Wilko site.
Shoppers took to Facebook to share their dismay at the abrupt closure of the discount store.
“You’re joking – just found out it’s there,” said one user.
However, reports suggest that the popular chain is set to reopen 71-ex Wilko stores under their brand name.
M&S
Upmarket retailer M&S is shuttering three branches across England and Wales this month.
The chain is permanently closing a store in Bradford on May 18, with workers offered alternative roles “wherever possible”.
It will also close a store in Hexham, Northumberland, on May 25, according to local news reports.
M&S has plans to shut down its branch in Neath, Wales, in May too, although an exact closure date has not yet been confirmed.
Why are retailers closing stores?
RETAILERS have been feeling the squeeze since the pandemic, while shoppers are cutting back on spending due to the soaring cost of living crisis.
High energy costs and a move to shopping online after the pandemic are also taking a toll, and many high street shops have struggled to keep going.
The high street has seen a whole raft of closures over the past year, and more are coming.
The number of jobs lost in British retail dropped last year, but 120,000 people still lost their employment, figures have suggested.
Figures from the Centre for Retail Research revealed that 10,494 shops closed for the last time during 2023, and 119,405 jobs were lost in the sector.
It was fewer shops than had been lost for several years, and a reduction from 151,641 jobs lost in 2022.
The centre’s director, Professor Joshua Bamfield, said the improvement is “less bad” than good.
Although there were some big-name losses from the high street, including Wilko, many large companies had already gone bust before 2022, the centre said, such as Topshop owner Arcadia, Jessops and Debenhams.
“The cost-of-living crisis, inflation and increases in interest rates have led many consumers to tighten their belts, reducing retail spend,” Prof Bamfield said.
“Retailers themselves have suffered increasing energy and occupancy costs, staff shortages and falling demand that have made rebuilding profits after extensive store closures during the pandemic exceptionally difficult.”
Alongside Wilko, which employed around 12,000 people when it collapsed, 2023’s biggest failures included Paperchase, Cath Kidston, Planet Organic and Tile Giant.
The Centre for Retail Research said most stores were closed because companies were trying to reorganise and cut costs rather than the business failing.
However, experts have warned there will likely be more failures this year as consumers keep their belts tight and borrowing costs soar for businesses.
The Body Shop and Ted Baker are the biggest names to have already collapsed into administration this year.