Iconic high street chain to shut its last ever store in just HOURS after more than 140 years trading

ONE of Britain’s oldest department stores will shut its last remaining branch after more than 140 years of trading.

Beales, which first opened in Bournemouth in 1881, has launched a closing down sale before they shut the doors for the last time in hours.

Beales at the Dolphin Centre shopping mall in Poole will close for good on May 31.

Retail industry bosses said the closure of the historic store “illustrates the devastating impact” of the rise in national insurance contributions and the higher minimum wage.

Beales chief executive, Tony Brown told BBC: “We’ve looked at everything – these are not decisions you take likely.

“We looked at a whole raft of redundancies but to get to where we needed to be the shop itself wouldn’t be able to open most of the time because we wouldn’t have enough people.

“Obviously, it’s devastating especially for the staff who have tried so hard over the last five years.”

The retailer has also come under pressure from shifting shopping habits in recent years, with younger shoppers turning away from large high street stores towards online rivals.

In January 2020, Beales tumbled into administration, leading to the closure of 22 of its 23 shops.

The shop in Poole reopened the same year after relocating to the shopping centre and remained the only Beales store standing.

The NHS clinic was set up on the top floor of the department store in 2021 to reduce waiting times but will now move to St Mary’s hospital on June 5.

Beales operated 41 department stores in market towns across the UK at its peak, selling a range of furniture, fashion, toys and cosmetics.

The high street chain shut its store in Southport last September just three years after the site reopened.

It comes after a series of store closures by The Original Factory Shop with another 10 shops closing in the coming weeks.

Other businesses have warned of price rises and closures as a result of the Budget tax hikes.

New Look began ramping up its store closure programme prior top April’s National Insurance increase.

Approximately a quarter of the retailer’s 364 stores are at risk when their leases expire.

FAMOUS NAMES GONE FROM THE HIGH STREET

Beales is not the only brand that’s been wiped from the high street in recent years.

Ted Baker, fell into administration last March after years of turmoil.

At the time it had 46 shops in the UK employing around 975 people.

The last stores shut in August after failing to secure a full rescue.

It was relaunched as an online brand in the UK and Europe after a partnership with United Legwear & Apparel Co.

Flooring retailer Carpetright filed for administration in July after efforts to turnaround the struggling firm were derailed by a cyber attack.

The business had 1,800 staff and 273 shops across the country before going bust.

Around 54 stores were snapped up by its arch rival Tapi Carpets & Floors, which also bought its brand name and continues to run the brand online.

LloydsPharmacy, once the UK’s second biggest community pharmacy chain, went into liquidation in late January 2024 with debts of £293million.

The previous year it had closed all of its pharmacies inside Sainsbury’s and divided its 1,000 pharmacy estate into packages of hundreds of stores that it then sold to rivals in smaller deals.

There are no more LloydsPharmacy-branded sites on the high street, but it continues to operate online.

Fans of Paperchase were devastated when the retailer disappeared from the high street in April 2023.

Its 134 shops all closed after it fell into administration, including its concession stands in Next and Selfridges.

However, supermarket giant Tesco bought the rights to the brand and the brand is now stocked at 250 Tesco supermarkets.

M&Co, previously called Mackay’s, fell into administration for the second time in two years in December 2022.

M&Co’s brand and intellectual property were sold to Yours Clothing.

The chain’s 170 shops were not part of the deal though and all sites closed their doors at the start of 2024.

Popular chain Cath Kidston, which once boasted hundreds of shops around the world, closed the last of its stores for good in June 2023.

The brand was bought by Next after falling into administration in the March – but the sale didn’t include the physical shops and remaining sotres closed that summer.

You can buy Cath Kidstone products on the Next website

Topshop disappeared after falling into administration during the pandemic.

The brand was bought by Asos and is now sold online.

The ecommerce giant has teased a return to bricks and mortar though.