Major DIY chain with over 300 branches to shut essential store TODAY – and shoppers ‘still can’t believe it’s happening’
A MULTINATIONAL DIY chain with over 300 branches will shut down one of its stores today.
Shoppers were left disappointed after B&Q announced it would be pulling down the shutters on its branch in Sudbury, with one saying: “I still cannot believe this is happening.
“I’m self-employed, and I probably come to this store about 2-4 times a week to get what I need, and now I will have to go to Colchester or Bury St Edmunds for certain things.”
A B&Q spokesperson said: “Due to unsuccessful negotiations to renew the lease at our Sudbury store, we will be closing our doors on July 20, 2024 at 4pm.”
They also announced that after 12 years of service in the area, their landlord has secured planning permission to redevelop the site.
This has come as quite the shock to the local community.
“Spare a thought for all the lovely people at Sudbury B&Q which closes tomorrow. Always cheery, always helpful and a good range of products” posted another Facebook user.
As a result of this closure, 32 B&Q employees will lose their jobs.
Richard Walgate, director of central division at B&Q, told Suffolk News: “We are continuing to look for an alternative store location in the area.”
In the meantime, we look forward to continuing to welcome our Sudbury customers to our Woodhall Business Park store, and I would like to thank our colleagues for their ongoing hard work and commitment.”
Some social media users expressed their disappointment in landlords only being after money and others speculated whether their B&Q store could turn into a B&M.
“A great shame they haven’t found an alternative site in Sudbury yet. We’ve purchased many many things from here including masses of lighting over the years.”
The only place with an excellent range of wallpaper too! Will be missed.” commented another upset Facebook user.
For many, B&Q is not just a one-stop DIY shop, it is a place to acquire expert DIY advice and enjoy walking through a magical lighting display.
“Hardwork and community are at the heart of the team at the store, they are sure to be missed!” posted the East Anglian Daily Times on Facebook.
This closure comes after eight “mini B&Q shops” located inside Asda supermarkets shut down.
On 8 June they also closed their Sutton, South London store.
The retailer said it intended to launch smaller stores along the high street instead.
Ultimately, the DIY chain has over 300 branches and just because it is closing a shop, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s struggling.
Why are retailers closing shops?
EMPTY shops have become an eyesore on many British high streets and are often symbolic of a town centre's decline.
The Sun’s business editor Ashley Armstrong explains why so many retailers are shutting their doors.
In many cases, retailers are shutting stores because they are no longer the money-makers they once were because of the rise of online shopping.
Falling store sales and rising staff costs have made it even more expensive for shops to stay open. In some cases, retailers are shutting a store and reopening a new shop at the other end of a high street to reflect how a town has changed.
The problem is that when a big shop closes, footfall falls across the local high street, which puts more shops at risk of closing.
Retail parks are increasingly popular with shoppers, who want to be able to get easy, free parking at a time when local councils have hiked parking charges in towns.
Many retailers including Next and Marks & Spencer have been shutting stores on the high street and taking bigger stores in better-performing retail parks instead.
Boss Stuart Machin recently said that when it relocated a tired store in Chesterfield to a new big store in a retail park half a mile away, its sales in the area rose by 103 per cent.
In some cases, stores have been shut when a retailer goes bust, as in the case of Wilko, Debenhams Topshop, Dorothy Perkins and Paperchase to name a few.
What’s increasingly common is when a chain goes bust a rival retailer or private equity firm snaps up the intellectual property rights so they can own the brand and sell it online.
They may go on to open a handful of stores if there is customer demand, but there are rarely ever as many stores or in the same places.