‘We’ll really miss it’ cry shoppers as major high street chain with 1,400 branches to shut more stores TODAY
SHOPPERS have been left devastated after a major high street chain with 1,400 branches shut another store today.
The WHSmith in Oban, Scotland, has pulled down its shutters for the final time.
Writing on the Information Oban group on Facebook, a WH Smith store leader reminded punters the store would close today.
A closing down sale has been underway for months in what has been a parting gift for bargain hunters.
It saw shoppers able to pick up books and stationery for a whopping 75 per cent off.
Locals weighed in on social media to share their disappointment regarding the closure.
One wrote: “I will really miss this shop.”
A second said: “Another shop closed it will be a big loss to Oban.”
Another added: “Not what it used to be it was good when thay had cd video and music department sad it closed just one more big empty shop in the town.”
The shop has always been a favourite for shoppers at Christmas time with a plethora of presents available including lovely diaries for the year ahead.
The sale was full of things from sweet treats like chocolate and candy to greetings cards, best selling books, family games and even stationary.
Newspapers and magazines were not going to be included in the sale but almost everything else in store was marked down.
The store has been in Oban since 1998 when it was transformed from a John Menzies to the popular WHSmith store.
John Menzies used to be famous for their popular bookstalls littered across Scotland.
The WHSmith store was previously forced to reduce its floorspace by a third in a blow for the high street.
Boots the chemist also announced last year that it was considering closing one of its two branches in Oban.
Naked Veg, a popular organic food store, has already had to leave the high street in recent months.
WHSmith has around 1,400 stores in the UK and 550 of these are located on the high street.
It recently announced plans to open 15 new sites in airports, railway stations and hospitals.
In June last year, WHSmith confirmed it would NOT be opening any more high street branches.
The retailer has previously said that opening more high-street stores “would just be a duplication” as the business wants to focus on growth.
WHSmith shut its branch in Ramsgate, Kent, at the start of 2024.
The retailer also pulled down the shutters on its shop in Alfreton, Derbyshire, last month.
‘Death’ of the high street
The hospitality sector has been feeling the squeeze since the pandemic while households are cutting back on spending due to the soaring cost of living crisis.
High energy costs and increased prices are also taking a toll and many high street restaurants and cafes have struggled to keep going.
We’ve seen a whole raft of closures over the past year and more are on their way.
Pubs like Wetherspoons and restaurants like Frankie & Benny’s and Chiquito shut their doors.
Costa Coffee on Edinburgh’s Bruntsfield Place ground its final bean this week as the store officially shut on Valentine’s Day.
Several major retail brands have also collapsed in the past couple of years, such as Wilko and Paperchase.
Most recently, The Body Shop confirmed it has gone into administration putting 200 stores at risk of closure.
More shoppers than ever are choosing to order online rather than head into stores.
This has left some retailers grappling with budgets and have no choice but to close stores to cut costs.
British retailers saw the amount of goods they sold drop last month at its fastest rate in three years as under-pressure families shifted part of their Christmas shop to earlier in the year.
Sales volumes dipped by 3.2% in December, data from the Office for National Statistics suggests, down from a rise of 1.4% a month before.
Several big-name chains are pulling down the shutters for the final time this month.
An iconic department store has also shut its flagship London store forever.
It was announced last year that Fenwick would be closing its central London store in Bond Street for good, and on February 3, it pulled down the shutters for the last time.