The EIGHT high street chains closing shops in January with 11 locations set to shut for good
EIGHT major retailers are set to close stores in January as businesses continue to abandon the high street.
Last year was difficult for many of Britain’s biggest brands, who were forced to pull the shutters down on several shops for the last time.
Reduced footfall and lower takings have put pressure on businesses, forcing them into administration or to cut costs by closing shops.
Around 13,479 high street stores shut for good last year, according to fresh research from the Centre for Retail Research published today.
This is a 28% increase on the levels seen in 2023.
It estimates that around 17,350 stores will close this year as higher national insurance contributions and increases in the national minimum wage take effect in April.
Eleven stores are already set to close in January, including a popular coffee chain and clothing shop.
Here are all the retailers that have announced they will close stores this month…
The Body Shop
Skincare store The Body Shop will close its Sheffield branch this month after three decades of trading.
The Orchard Square store will close for good on January 15.
The news comes after the chain was plunged into administration in February.
The Body Shop made around 800 members of staff redundant and closed 75 shops in the following weeks.
The chain was then rescued from administration in September by Aurea Group.
At the time the deal looked set to help its 113 UK stores to remain trading.
But the Sheffield store is not the only one set to shut up shop this month.
The Body Shop in Castle Street in Norwich will shut down on January 15 after 44 years of business.
Why are retailers closing shops?
EMPTY shops have become an eyesore on many British high streets and are often symbolic of a town centre’s decline.
The Sun’s business editor Ashley Armstrong explains why so many retailers are shutting their doors.
In many cases, retailers are shutting stores because they are no longer the money-makers they once were because of the rise of online shopping.
Falling store sales and rising staff costs have made it even more expensive for shops to stay open. In some cases, retailers are shutting a store and reopening a new shop at the other end of a high street to reflect how a town has changed.
The problem is that when a big shop closes, footfall falls across the local high street, which puts more shops at risk of closing.
Retail parks are increasingly popular with shoppers, who want to be able to get easy, free parking at a time when local councils have hiked parking charges in towns.
Many retailers including Next and Marks & Spencer have been shutting stores on the high street and taking bigger stores in better-performing retail parks instead.
Boss Stuart Machin recently said that when it relocated a tired store in Chesterfield to a new big store in a retail park half a mile away, its sales in the area rose by 103 per cent.
In some cases, stores have been shut when a retailer goes bust, as in the case of Wilko, Debenhams Topshop, Dorothy Perkins and Paperchase to name a few.
What’s increasingly common is when a chain goes bust a rival retailer or private equity firm snaps up the intellectual property rights so they can own the brand and sell it online.
They may go on to open a handful of stores if there is customer demand, but there are rarely ever as many stores or in the same places.
A sign in the window said the store “wanted to thank everyone for being our customers”.
Monki
H&M-owned fashion chain Monki has announced plans to close two of its shops this month.
Those set for closure include a store at the Intu shopping centre in Newcastle Upon Tyne and Manchester’s Arndale Centre.
The Newcastle branch will close today while the Manchester branch will shut two weeks later, on January 17.
H&M plans to close seven Monki stores as it merges the brand with trendy fashion chain Weekday.
It hopes by blending the stores it will create a “new youth destination” which will appeal to younger shoppers.
Matalan
High street staple Matalan will close its store in Chester for good this week.
The store in Stadium Way near the Greyhound Retail Park will shut for the last time on January 4.
A spokesperson for the clothing and homeware store told The Sun it was closing the shop as the landlord wants to “redevelop the site”.
They added: “Our priority is to support our colleagues and we are working closely with all those affected and where possible offering them alternative positions.”
Shoppers have until January 4 to make any returns.
After that they will need to visit a nearby store or send their item back via post if it was an online order.
Greggs
Bargain bakery chain Greggs will close a Coventry store this week after sparking outrage from locals.
The Foleshill Road store will draw its shutters for the last time on January 4.
A sign has been placed in the window which reads: “Sorry, we are closing on January 4, 2025.
“Your nearest shop is 118/120 Jubilee Crescent, Radford.”
Greggs confirmed to The Sun that it is not part of a wider plan to cut branches.
Locals were disappointed by the news, with one person posting on Facebook: “This Greggs is very popular and will be sorely missed.”
The Entertainer
Children’s toy chain The Entertainer has confirmed that it will close an Edinburgh store on January 4.
The toy giant will shutter the store in the Cameron Toll shopping centre after ten years of trading.
A reason for the closure has yet to be given but boss Andrew Murphy has previously said changes in the Budget will hit the firm’s finances.
The toy giant has been forced to drop plans to open two new stores due to the Government changes.
It has also brought in a hiring freeze at its head office.
Deichmann
Shoe giant Deichmann will wave goodbye to its branch in Newport city centre on January 11.
The store on Commercial Street in Newport will close its door for the last time after 17 years in the Welsh city.
Shoppers will need to head to the store in Cwmbran to get their hands on Deichmann shoes or bags.
The reason for the closure is not yet known.
It has not yet been confirmed what will replace the store once it has closed.
Starbucks
Coffee chain Starbucks will close two of its branches this month.
The popular American chain will pull down the shutters on its coffee house on Dumfries high street on January 12.
A spokesperson for the chain said it regularly reviews its portfolio to ensure its stores are relevant for customers.
Starbucks fans will need to head to the store on Annan Road, Dumfries, to get their hands on the chain’s selection of beverages and sweet treats.
Meanwhile, the Starbucks branch inside the Cineworld at Sixfields Leisure will shut for good on January 19.
A spokesperson told the Sun: “Following Cineworld’s announcement that they are closing, our store inside Cineworld Sixfields will also close alongside it on January 19, and we are in the process of working with our employees to offer them positions at nearby stores.
“We thank our customers for their loyalty over the years and invite them to find their nearest stores in Northampton, Market Square and St James Retail Park.”
WHSmith
Stationer WHSmith will close its Winton branch in Bournemouth, Dorset on February 15.
The news comes after the retailer shut its Boscombe branch in the same town in June 2024.
The book and stationery chain has closed ten stores since March 2023, including shops in Manchester and Somerset.
But WHSmith plans to open ten to fifteen new stores next year.
Some of these stores will serve hot food and coffee.
The chain also plans to expand its range of branded confectionery, snacks, drinks and its own labels.
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