Popular store hailed ‘the best shop in the city’ abruptly closes after 37 years on the high street
A POPULAR store hailed ‘the best shop in the city’ has abruptly closed down after 37 years on the high street.
A beloved independent retailer has shut its doors for good, leaving loyal customers devastated.
Kong, known for selling top street wear brands and boasting a loyal following in Coventry.
Since opening in 1987, the shop had become a mainstay of Coventry’s retail scene, offering fashion for men and women with a skate-inspired twist.
The store, described by fans as “so much more than just a shop,” was praised for its wide range of clothing, footwear, and accessories, featuring popular names such as Nike, Adidas, The North Face, and Dr Martens.
It also catered to the skating community, selling skateboard decks and hardware.
The closure came as a surprise to many, with the team confirming the news on December 31 in an emotional statement.
Posting on Facebook and Instagram, they thanked customers for their years of support and reflected on the many friendships formed during their time in Coventry.
The post read: “With mixed emotions, we would like to announce that as of today, our Coventry store will close its doors after 37 years on The Burges.”
“Over these many years, we have made numerous friendships that will last a lifetime and had the opportunity to watch people grow; this makes saying goodbye to Coventry all the more bittersweet.”
The team also paid tribute to their staff, past and present, calling it “an honour and privilege” to work with them.
While the Coventry branch has closed, customers have been reassured that Kong’s Leamington Spa store on Bedford Street remains open, with vouchers and returns still valid there.
The announcement has left shoppers heartbroken, with many taking to social media to share their sadness and memories of the store.
One customer wrote: “Been coming here since 04’ sad to see it go! Sad to see you all go but we all appreciate Kong hosting the show&tells, what a great shop.”
Another added: “Very sad to see this post. I always made an effort to visit and pick up something when I was in town. Thanks for the wine over the years.”
A third said: “I am absolutely gutted, it truly is an end of an era”.
Others criticised the state of Coventry’s city centre, calling on the council to do more to support independent businesses.
One user wrote: “@coventrycitycouncil should be helping stores like this in what is a dying city centre.
“Independents are the heartbeat to shopping areas… 37 years and too easily forgotten.”
Despite the sadness, the team behind Kong remain optimistic for the future, focusing on their Leamington Spa branch and thanking their customers for being part of their journey.
For many in Coventry, the closure of Kong marks the end of an era, as the city bids farewell to a shop that had become a cornerstone of its high street.
MORE JOB LOSSES ON THE WAY
The Kong store staff are not alone in finding new work after the store’s closure.
Almost 170,000 retail workers lost their jobs in 2024 after a challenging year for high street firms.
End-of-year figures compiled by the Centre for Retail Research showed the number of job losses spiked amid the collapse of major chains stores.
It said its latest analysis showed that a total of 169,395 retail jobs were lost in the 2024 calendar year to date.
This was up 49,990 – an increase of 41.9% – compared with 2023.
It is the highest annual reading since more than 200,000 jobs were lost in 2020 in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced retailers to shut their stores during lockdowns.
Professor Bamfield added: “The comparatively low figures for 2023 now look like an anomaly, a pause for breath by many retailers after lockdowns if you like.
“The problems of changed customer shopping habits, inflation, rising energy costs, rents and business rates have continued and forced many retailers to cut back even more strongly in 2024.”
Independent retailers, small businesses generally with between one and five stores, shed 58,616 jobs in total during the year.
Experts have said small high street shops could face a particularly challenging 2025 because of Budget tax and wage changes.
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.