Major fashion chain with 200 stores abruptly shuts another branch leaving shoppers gutted
A MAJOR fashion chain with 200 stores abruptly shuts another branch leaving shopper gutted.
New Look, a high street fashion favourite, has confirmed the closure of yet another store as part of its ongoing strategy to streamline operations in the face of mounting financial pressures.
The first closure of the year came when the New Look store at Bracknell Peel Centre shut its doors on January 30, leaving local shoppers disappointed.
A New Look spokesperson confirmed the company’s commitment to serving customers online, stating: “Our store at Bracknell Peel Centre closed on January 30th.
“We would like to thank all of our colleagues and the local community for their support over the years.
“We hope customers continue to shop with us online at Newlook.com, where our full product ranges can be found.”
This was followed by the closure of the Essex branch on January 24.
Now, the latest casualty is the New Look store in Porth, Rhondda Cynon Taf, which will shut down for good on February 22.
With more closures expected in 2025, including up to 100 stores, shoppers are left wondering what the future holds for their local high streets.
The impact of these closures is particularly significant, as the chain employs around 8,000 staff members nationwide.
While stores remain open for now, leases expiring over the next year could determine the fate of many more locations.
The closures come amid rising business costs, including an upcoming hike in National Insurance contributions set to take effect in April, adding further strain on retailers.
New Look has been restructuring its store estate over the past six years, reducing its footprint from around 600 stores in 2018 to just 364 today.
With approximately a quarter of its current stores at risk, shoppers fear they may lose yet another go-to destination for affordable fashion.
Retailers across the UK are grappling with the financial burden of increased tax rates, higher wages, and soaring business rates.
In recent years, several major chains have either downsized or collapsed altogether, including Ted Baker, Carpetright, Homebase, and Wilko.
Even larger brands like Boots have been forced to cut store numbers, and independent retailers have been hit particularly hard.
Shoppers have taken to social media to express their frustration over the closures, with many highlighting the inconvenience of losing their local New Look store.
One user on Facebook commented: “I went to go there yesterday and was shocked to see it shut! Didn’t see any warning about it.”
Another added: “I am gutted as it was handy and meant I did not have to go into town.”
Another added: “Sheer insanity.So where are we all going to be shopping at those stores now then, as we regularly use all those stores?
“I went to go today and was surprised it was empty. I love that New Look!!
“I’m grieving”.
RETAIL PAIN IN 2025
The British Retail Consortium has predicted that the Treasury's hike to employer NICs will cost the retail sector £2.3billion.
Research by the British Chambers of Commerce shows that more than half of companies plan to raise prices by early April.
A survey of more than 4,800 firms found that 55% expect prices to increase in the next three months, up from 39% in a similar poll conducted in the latter half of 2024.
Three-quarters of companies cited the cost of employing people as their primary financial pressure.
The Centre for Retail Research (CRR) has also warned that around 17,350 retail sites are expected to shut down this year.
It comes on the back of a tough 2024 when 13,000 shops closed their doors for good, already a 28% increase on the previous year.
Professor Joshua Bamfield, director of the CRR said: “The results for 2024 show that although the outcomes for store closures overall were not as poor as in either 2020 or 2022, they are still disconcerting, with worse set to come in 2025.”
Professor Bamfield has also warned of a bleak outlook for 2025, predicting that as many as 202,000 jobs could be lost in the sector.
“By increasing both the costs of running stores and the costs on each consumer’s household it is highly likely that we will see retail job losses eclipse the height of the pandemic in 2020.”