All the stores opening this year including US fast food chains’ first locations
IT’S been a gloomy few years on the high street but 2025 will bring some exciting new openings – including debut sites from a number of US fast food giants.
Those travelling over the pond include Chick-fil-A and Velvet Taco, who follow hot on the heels of brands including Dave’s Hot Chicken, Wingstop and Popeyes.
British chains are also expanding on high streets and in retail parks, as some see opportunities despite tough times for others.
As well as new entrants a number of well-known retailers have returned to the high street recently including nostalgic 1990s brand Toys R Us and homeware and fashion outlet Cath Kidston.
Here are some of the openings that might be popping up near you in 2025:
Chick-fil-A
American fast food giant Chick-fil-A is crossing the pond and bringing its beloved chicken sandwiches to UK high streets in 2025.
The chain has confirmed it will open two restaurants in Belfast as well as single sites in Leeds, Liverpool, and London.
The sites will open over two years starting in 2025.
Chick-fil-A last opened a temporary pop-up in Reading back in 2019.
The fast food brand operates more than 3,000 sites across the U.S., Puerto Rico and Canada.
It is now accepting applications from those wishing to take on a franchise.
Dave’s Hot Chicken
Dave’s Hot Chicken opened its first UK store in London’s Shaftesbury Avenue in December 2024, with more planned for 2025.
The American fried chicken brand was founded by three childhood friends and began life as a late-night pop-up in a parking lot in 2017.
The brand quickly gained popularity, leading to the opening of a brick-and-mortar restaurant in East Hollywood.
It sells chicken at five levels of spice: No Spice, Lite Mild, Mild, Medium, Hot, Extra Hot and Reaper – the latter requiring diners to sign a waiver.
Dave’s Hot Chicken has partnered with major hospitality player Azzurri Group to spearhead its UK rollout.
Azzurri, which owns brands including Zizzi, ASK Italian and Coco di Mama, has plans to open 60 Dave’s Hot Chicken sites in the UK and Ireland.
Loungers
All-day bar café brand Loungers has plans to open seven branches early in 2025 as it continues its rapid expansion.
The openings, which will take Loungers UK estate to 249, are:
- Blanco Lounge, Bolton – January 8, 2025
- Calvero Lounge, Tenterden, Kent – January 22, 2025
- Toledo Lounge, Merry Hill Shopping Centre, Brierley Hill – January 29, 2025
- Argento Lounge, Preston – February 5, 2025
- Manzano Lounge, Rayleigh – February 12, 2025
- Saludo, Workington – February 26, 2025
- Caldo Lounge, Sale – March 12, 2025
Despite growing to have more outlets than popular brands such as Prezzo and Wagamama, Loungers has kept its presence pretty low-key so far.
This is partly because each branch has a different name and appearance, meaning fans may not realise their local is part of a group.
Loungers shareholders are soon due to vote on a proposed sale to US private equity firm Fortress Investment Group in a £338m deal.
Velvet Taco
Tex-Mex brand Velvet Taco will make its UK debut in spring 2025.
As part of a franchise agreement with Velvet UK, the brand will be opening its first restaurant in Piccadilly Circus, London.
The diner has also confirmed it plans to open more UK sites in the coming years.
The taco brand was first launched in Dallas, Texas, in 2011 and now operates nearly 50 restaurants across the US.
Its signature dishes include a spicy tikka chicken taco with tenders, house-made tikka sauce, buttered coriander basmati rice, raita crema, and Thai basil.
Another favourite is the London-inspired fish and chips taco, which includes beer-battered cod, curry aioli, fried vinegar, and Napa slaw.
The taco chain is also famed for its double-layered red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting drizzled with house-made cajeta sauce – a slow-cooked Mexican caramel.
Lidl
Budget supermarket Lidl has confirmed plans to open eight stores at the start of 2025.
These will be followed by about 40 more in the next financial year.
The supermarket has been pursuing rapid expansion with six stores opening in one day in December 2024.
Lidl now has more than 960 branches in the UK.
Aldi
German discounter Aldi will open two new stores in January 2025.
Supermarkets will welcome shoppers in Bacup, Lancashire, and Holbeach in Lincolnshire.
Aldi has confirmed it has a pipeline of further openings planned for 2025, as it looks to invest £800m in its branch network.
The retailer has ambitions of building a network of 1,500 stores in the UK.
Wingstop
Wingstop arrived in the UK from the US just under six years ago and has quickly become a household name.
The home of Lemon Pepper Chicken now has more than 50 UK outlets and will continue to expand in 2025.
Chris Sherriff, CEO of Wingstop UK, said: “Looking ahead, 2025 is shaping up to be another landmark year. Most of next year’s pipeline is already secured, and we’re aiming to increase our number of openings year on year as we continue expanding to even more cities.
“Our focus remains on growing sustainably but with the agility to seize the right opportunities when they arise.”
Mountain Warehouse
Mountain Warehouse has revealed it will be opening 50 new stores across the UK following a surge in demand for outdoor clothing.
The brand has already opened 20 new stores in the UK in the past six months – and now plans to expand to new locations, including retail parks.
The exact list of locations where Mountain Warehouse will be opening is yet to be revealed.
Holland and Barrett
Holland & Barrett has said it will open up to 50 new stores in the UK in 2025 after it ramped up expansion plans.
The expansion is part of the retailer’s investment in growing its physical presence on high streets.
In 2024 it opened 35 new sites and refurbish 280 during the past year.
The targeted store expansion for next year includes standalone stores, new formats and instore concessions with its retail partners,
Sephora
Sephora will continue its UK expansion in 2025 with the opening of a new Liverpool site in the spring.
The French makeup giant first launched in the UK all the way back in 2005, but pulled out due to strong competition from other brands.
It then made a second return in 2022, launching in Westfield Stratford.
The Liverpool opening will be the eighth for the brand, following recent launches in Birmingham and Bluewater in Kent.
Hobbycraft
Hobbycraft has revealed plans to open seven UK stores in 2025.
The arts and crafts retailer has been expanding in recent years as it looks to increase its presence on the high street and in retail parks.
It now has a total of 26 stores.
Ikea
Ikea has confirmed its Oxford Street city store will now open spring 2025.
Ikea has undertaken an extensive renovation project across all seven floors of the Grade II listed building continues.
Ikea has been expanding its presence in the UK, including opening a restaurant site in King Street, Hammersmith, London.
It also expected to open a store in Churchill Square, Brighton, next year.
Primark
Primark will continue to expand its UK estate with 2025 openings planned for Parkway, Newbury and Epsom.
The retailer has been expanding rapidly with a number of openings in 2024.
WHSmith
WHSmith expects to open between 10 and 15 shops in the UK in 2025.
The openings will be in travel hubs including train stations and airports.
While still expanding WHSmith is also looking to cut costs of up to £10million, following a four per cent drop in sales.
It closed a number of sites in 2024 in locations found to be unsuitable or where leases came to an end.
B&M
Discount retailer B&M has confirmed its first three openings of 2025, as it looks to bring bargains to even more shoppers.
The chain will open stores in Sudbury and Southend, as well as adding a garden centre to its Teesside site.
Sudbury will open on January 23, followed by Southend and Teesside on March 15.
The budget retailer currently has more than 700 stores in the UK, but has a long-term target of 950 sites.
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.
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