The UK high street is set to be hit with further shops closing before Christmas. Wetherspoons, M&S and Homebase are just some of the major retailers who will be shutting shop.
According to the Centre for Retail Research, there were nearly 10,500 shop closures in 2023. This equated to almost 119,000 job losses across the sector.
Meanwhile, in the first half of 2024, it saw 1,846 shops close down and 24,000 people out of work.
There are several reasons why shops are shutting down with inflation and the cost of living hitting the high street the hardest.
Let’s take a look at the shops and their locations which will be shutting down in the next few weeks.
Marks and Spencer
Marks and Spencer’s store in Queensway, Crawley is set to close. November 16 is the last day it is open. According to Graham Bennett, M&S regional manager, the decision to close the store was down to changing shopping habits.
However, Crawley locals may soon be getting a new Foodhall in its city centre with the popular retailer “looking to invest”.
Mr Bennett said: “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 store is set to close two branches, Marsh Mills Retail Park in Plymouth and Southam Road shop in Banbury, in November.
Homebase has yet to confirm the exact closure dates and will join the 93 other stores which have shut down since Hilco Capital took over the brand in 2018.
Hilco bought Homenase for £1 from Wesfarmers in 2018, who had previously paid £340million for the brand.
Co-Op
Those who shop at Co-Op in Meadows, Nottingham will soon have to find where else to grab their groceries.
Co-Op will shut shop after nearly half a century from Bridgeway Shopping Centre. A spokesperson for Co-Op described it as a “difficult decision”, which was influenced by the end of the shop unit lease.
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.”
Menwhile, Highcliffe-on-Sea, Dorset, also saw a Co-op shut shop on September 14.
JD Wetherspoon
JD Wetherspoon is set to shut its pub doors in Edinburgh on November 3. Foot of the Walk bar in Leith thanked customers for their loyalty.
A spokesperson for Wetherspoon said: “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”.
It comes as locals tried to save the pub from closing by launching a petition which gathered more than 300 signatures.
House of Fraser
House of Fraser is shutting shop in Bluewater, Kent. The department store has been there for 25 years and is set to close its doors on November 27. The retailer has a spot which runs across two floors in the UK’s fifth-largest shopping centre.
House of Fraser has previously shut down stores in locations such as Plymouth due to “unforeseen circumstances”.
Elsewhere, Lakeside’s outlet shut shop in January 2024 and recently the Cabot Circus store has also closed which was set to take over M&S by 2025.
There are only around 28 House of Fraser stores left in the UK with the Kent closure adding another blow to the department store.
Decathlon
Decathlon, which is a French sports retailer, is set to shut its store in Forge Retail Park, Telford, Shropshire.
The store is set to close on November 3 and after six years of being open. Decathlon cited a “brand refresh” and a “broader review” for the closure.
