‘Town is dying’ complain shoppers as high street jewellery chain with 300 branches announces sudden closure of store
SHOPPERS have complained that their town is “dying” after a high street jewellery shop suddenly closed a store.
Residents of Nuneaton, a market town in Warwickshire, were left baffled after noticing that Claire’s store on Queens Road was “completely emptied”.
Shoppers raised questions after the store’s purple and white signage was removed from the front of the unit.
They also noticed that everything was removed from the store.
“It is closed and empty, it has been completely stripped,” a customer pointed out.
“There is no notice on the window or anything.”
A spokesperson for the retailer, which sells accessories and jewellery, confirmed to The Sun that the store is now closed.
They added that the closest locations for consumers to shop are Hinkley, Rugby, and Coventry.
Many shoppers took to social media to complain about the sudden closure.
One wrote on Facebook: “Another one bites the dust, Pandora was gone too when I was last in.”
Another added: “This town is dyinnggggg.”
One more said: “There was a van there picking up the boxes.
“Also charity shop just round from there through to Abbey Street is closing in a few weeks. So sad.”
And a disappointed local commented on the social media platform: “There’s nothing there any more.
“So sad to see high streets, communities and jobs disappearing.”
Earlier this year, Claire’s closed its doors at Hempstead Valley Shopping Centre in Gillingham, Kent.
The American retailer has 300 stores in the UK and over 80% of them are in England.
Claire’s is primarily aimed at teenage girls with a glitter and bling theme.
The company was founded in 1961 and is based in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago.
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.
Shoppers have been hit with a swathe of closures in recent years, seeing some of their favourite chains shutter sites.
The cost of living crisis has seen households with less money in their pockets, leading some to cut back on their spending.
This has had a knock-on effect on high street shops, which have seen lower footfall and less money landing in the tills, and many have been forced to close outlets.
That, coupled with ongoing restructuring plans and high rents, has meant several chains have shuttered hundreds of sites.
Figures from the Centre for Retail Research, a research foundation, revealed almost 10,500 shops closed for the final time in 2023.
Retailers closing stores in 2024
RETAILERS have been hit by soaring inflation and a downturn in spending due to the cost of living crisis.
High energy costs and a move to shopping online are also taking their toll.
Some high street shops have closed due to businesses opening up in different locations such as larger retail parks.
Shops may also close due to a number of other reasons, such as rising rents.
We explain which retailers are closing in 2024:
- Argos – The brand announced plans to close 100 standalone UK branches last year as it looks to move away from the high street and focus on expanding its presence in supermarkets.
- B&Q – The chain has over 300 shops across the UK, with two stores closing this year due to leases not being renewed. It has plans to open more in 2024 too.
- Boots – The health and beauty chain announced that it would be closing 300 stores last July. Closures are ongoing and this will see the retailer’s estate reduced from 2,200 to 1,900 shops.
- Clintons – Clintons mulled plans to close 38 shops in a bid to avoid insolvency late last year. We’ve listed the stores affected.
- Costa Coffee – The caffeine giant has around 2,000 sites nationwide, so chances are you’ll have one near you. The chain has shut the doors to dozens of its sites recently. We’ve revealed which stores are due to close this year.
- Iceland – The supermarket has more than 900 stores but closed nearly two dozen sites in 2023, and more selected shops are due to shut.
- Lidl – The supermarket, which has 950 stores, is changing up shop locations, which has meant that some stores have to close. But the retailer is also looking to open 12 new supermarkets.
- M&S – M&S, which runs 405 stores across the country, has been closing a string of branches across the country in a blow for shoppers. It’s not all bad news, though, because the chain also has big plans to open dozens of new shops.
- Trespass – The firm announced in July last year that it was closing six branches, but more are on the way.
- WHSmith – The retail giant, which runs over 1,100 stores, has shut eight stores since March 2023, but more are coming.
The 12-month period also saw over 119,000 jobs lost across the sector.
According to the Centre’s most recent data, 804 stores have closed and 16,565 retail jobs were lost during January, February, March, April and May 2024.
This month will be no different, with at least 10 stores closing their doors for the last time.
Of course, it’s not all bad news though, in some cases the branches will be replaced with bigger and better shops.
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