High streets across the UK are continuing to feel the impact of shop closures, with more big names shutting their doors this week. From major banks to well-known retail chains, nine closures have been confirmed in just a matter of days.
The wave of shutdowns highlights the ongoing challenges facing the UK’s retail and banking sectors. Some well-known and popular high-street retailers have announced closures this week alone. Coopers, a hardware chain, closed all of its branches across Norfolk and Suffolk. Its locations included Beccles, Bungay, and Halesworth. The stores will close on Saturday, October 18.
Poundland closed its Rochdale, Exchange Shopping Centre branch earlier this week, on Monday, October 13.
Popular high street fashion shop, New Look, closed its store in The Potteries Centre, in Stoke-on-Trent, on Tuesday, October 14.
Natwest bank closed six shops this week. On Monday, October 13, its Romsey shop and Neath branch closed, followed by its Redditch bank on Tuesday, October 14.
The bank closed two more stores on Wednesday, October 15, in Lowestoft and Chippenham. Finally, on Thursday, October 16, its Trowbridge branch also closed.
These closures are part of a wider trend affecting high streets across the UK, as businesses struggle with rising costs, changing shopping habits, and the shift to online services.
For many communities, each closure means fewer local services and a further blow to already struggling town centres.
Over the years, we’ve lost huge department stores such as Debenhams, BHS, and House of Fraser, while more recently, we’ve said goodbye to WHSmith and Homebase. and seen brands like New Look, Poundland, Starbucks, and some supermarkets reduce their locations.
The closures are part of a broader trend. The British Retail Consortium (BRC) warning as many as 400 of the UK’s largest shops are at risk of closure if the government forces them into its proposed higher business rates tax band.