In a major blow to local shoppers and the high street, the doors to a popular branch of a bargain stationery chain have closed for the last time. Danish chain Flying Tiger Copenhagen has been based in Croydon’s largest shopping centre, Whitgift Centre, for at least seven years, but its store is now labelled as “permanently closed” on Google Maps and signage reading “Goodbye Croydon” is now visible on the shopfront.
No confirmation statement has been released by Flying Tiger so far and the shop location still reads as open on the website. Flying Tiger operates over 100 stores across the country in various cities and shopping centres. The retailer, offering everything from home décor, decorations, gifts and stationery to toys, opened its first shop in Copenhagen in 1995 and now operates over 1,000 stores across some 40 countries, with more than 93 million customers.
Flying Tiger’s stores feature a recognisable maze-like layout that encourages exploration and dwell time among customers of all ages. The assortment spans 13 product categories, ranging from home and kitchenware to toys, stationery and seasonal items.
Before June 2016, the brand operated as Tiger (or Tiger Copenhagen) in most markets, and as TGR in Sweden and Norway. In 2022, Flying Tiger Copenhagen opened its first store in the United Arab Emirates and its first in Saudi Arabia. Two years later, it opened its first store in Turkey and has since rapidly expanded in the country. However, in January this year, Flying Tiger Copenhagen shut down all its stores in Malta, exiting the Maltese market entirely, due to structural market reasons rather than low sales.
On the closure of Flying Tiger in Croydon, one passerby said, according to The Sun: “This has to be the saddest closure. I think I single-handedly supported them in unnecessary but satisfying purchases.”
Others raised concern about the decline of Croydon’s 60-year-old shopping centre, saying: “Won’t be anything left in Whitgift soon”.
A variety of businesses, including Superdry, Poundland and Starbucks, have shut at Witgift in recent years, as well as small, independent retailers. The Sutton & Croydon Guardian reported that over 70 stores stood empty in the centre in October 2025, with dozens abandoned and boarded up.
In November 2025, it was confirmed that the Whitgift Centre would receive a £1.4billion regeneration as part of the wider Croydon Partnership to attract more people to the area. This hopes to bring over 300 shops, restaurants and cafes to the centre, as well as a larger housing project.
The Express has contacted Flying Tiger for comment.