A fresh wave of store closures could wreak havoc for high street shoppers in the run-up to Christmas.
Dwindling footfall, ongoing restructuring plans, and steep rents have compelled numerous chains to close locations.
The latest data from the Centre for Retail Research reveals that nearly 10,500 UK shops permanently closed their doors in 2023, and 119,000 jobs were lost across the sector during the same period.
Closures have continued well into 2024, with 1,846 store closures recorded in the first half of the year and 23,982 retail jobs lost.
This November will follow suit, with longstanding department retailers Marks and Spencer and House of Fraser among those preparing to shutter branches.
Stores closing in November
House of Fraser
The department store giant will close one of its most iconic locations in Bluewater, Kent, at the end of November.
House of Fraser has operated out of a large unit on two floors of the shopping centre, the fifth largest in the UK, for 25 years. However, shoppers will see the branch close on November 27.
Some House of Fraser stores have already closed, including the store in Plymouth, which closed due to “unforeseen circumstances”. The Cabot Circus store has also closed and will be replaced by Marks and Spencer’s in 2025, while the Lakeside Shopping Centre store closed in January 2024.
The closure of the Kent store, which is one of around 28 remaining sites, comes four years after businessman Mike Ashley saved the well-known British brand from collapse.
Marks and Spencer
The popular M&S branch in Queensway, Crawley, will close on November 16. Graham Bennett, M&S regional manager, said that changing shopping habits prompted the closure.
it’s one of dozens of M&S branches earmarked for closure as part of a 10-year restructuring plan, though local shoppers in Crawley could see a new Foodhall open in the city centre as the brand is “looking to invest”.
Graham commented: “After consulting with our colleagues following our proposals earlier this year, our Queensway store will close on Saturday, November 16. Individual conversations are continuing with our colleagues, and wherever possible, we will be offering them alternative roles with M&S.”
Homebase
The DIY chain will bid farewell to two branches in November following the announcement that 10 stores would close after Sainsbury’s acquisition.
Homebase shoppers who frequent the Marsh Mills Retail Park in Plymouth and Southam Road shop in Banbury must find an alternative by the end of the month.
Homebase has not confirmed the closure dates, which are the latest in a major retailer-wide consolidation of sites.
The Plymouth and Banbury sites join 93 other stores that have been axed since the brand was taken over by Hilco Capital in 2018. Hilco purchased the hardware store chain for £1 from Australian firm Wesfarmers, which had paid £340million for the brand.
Decathlon
The French sporting goods retailer will close one of its large retail park shops in Shropshire in a few days. Decathlon in Forge Retail Park, Telford, will cease trading on November 3, just six years after it opened.
Decathlon revealed that the closure was due to a “brand refresh” and a “broader review” of its store network but assured shoppers that its staff members were being supported to continue working at the company where possible.
Co-op
A Co-Op store in Meadows, Nottingham, will cease trading after 50 years of serving the local community from its Bridgeway Shopping Centre location. According to a spokesperson for the Fairtrade retailer, it was a “difficult decision” prompted by the shop unit lease ending.
They said: “Co-op regularly reviews its stores. In addition to opening new stores, we sometimes, and only after careful consideration, have to make the difficult decision to close a store.”
Co-op shoppers in Highcliffe-on-Sea, Dorset, also bid farewell to a store this year, which closed its doors for the final time on September 14.
Wetherspoon
It’s not just retailers that will close this November. Beloved pub chain Wetherspoon is also expected to close one of its locations.
JD Wetherspoon will close its Foot of the Walk bar in Leith, Edinburgh, on November 3, as confirmed by a spokesperson for the British pub giant.
“We would like to thank our staff and customers for their loyalty to the pub over many years. Wetherspoon does, on occasion, sell pubs, and this is the situation here”, they said.
It comes after locals unsuccessfully attempted to save the pub in January via a Change.org petition, which garnered more than 300 signatures.
