All the shops closing this weekend including iconic department store shutting after 124 years
SHUTTERED UP
We reveal why the retail sector is struggling below
- Sam Walker, Consumer Reporter
A HOST of stores are shutting for good this weekend including a historic department store.
Retailers have struggled over recent years as shoppers' wallets and purses take a hit from high inflation.
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An increase in employer National Insurance contributions and wage costs since April has added to the pressure.
Combined with soaring business rates, energy and rental costs, some retailers have been forced to hike prices and even shut stores.
It's worth bearing in mind of course that retailers close shops for a host of reasons and not always because of a poor economic backdrop.
Sometimes chains will shut a poorly-performing branch in one area and open another further afield where they think they'll see better footfall.
Plenty of retailers are moving away from high streets and towards out-of-town retail parks too.
In any case, five shops will shut this weekend including a more than 120-year-old department store.
Here is the full list of shops we know are closing down permanently.
Norwich-based Ginger will pull down its shutters for the final time on Saturday.
The shop was founded by David and Rodger Kingsley in 1978 following the success of their sister company Jonathan Trumbull in 1971.
But current store manager Beckie Kingsley said the store will close due to the economic climate and aftermath of Covid-19.
She said: "It's with truly heavy hearts that, after 46 unforgettable years, we have made the incredibly difficult decision to close the doors at our beautiful, beloved and historic Timber Hill home.
"We've weathered many storms over the decades, but there's been ongoing challenges of today's financial climate - coupled with the lasting impact and huge shifts within the retail landscape since Covid.
"This led us to ask - does it still work for us? After deep reflection, the answer, sadly, is no."
Historic department store Daniel of Ealing, in London, will shut for good on Sunday, after opening 124 years ago.
Prices have been slashed across homeware, fashion, toys, sportswear and shoes, with up to 50% off.
Shoppers finding out the iconic shop will close have shared their dismay online.
One posted saying: "Loved this shop and it’s top floor restaurant."
While another added: "Ealing has lost its heart, soul and uniqueness!"
Stationer The Works is shutting its Margate store on Sunday, with shoppers' next nearest branches in Westwood Cross Shopping Centre or Ramsgate Garden Centre.
A spokesperson for the chain said the decision to shut the branch had been made "as part of ongoing plans to optimise our store portfolio".
The move has been met with sadness by shoppers, with one online stating: "No I love The Works."
Another dejectedly added: "Be nothing left in the town soon."
Independent bar and shop Emporium Worthing is closing to the public on Sunday "with a heavy heart".
The owners posted a lengthy statement on Facebook announcing the closure.
It said: "We share the challenging decision to close Emporium Worthing after five memorable years of serving you.
"This has been a tough choice for us, but after careful reflection, we believe it is the best path forward and the right choice for us at this time."
A huge closing down sale has been launched to clear stock, even including fixtures and fittings from inside.
It's not all bad news though as the Emporium will be moving online and selling hardwares.
New Look is closing its branch in the Northfield Shopping Centre, Birmingham, on June 8.
A picture recently posted on Facebook of the shop window advertised the closure and signposted customers to the retailer's website.
Customers finding out about the closure have been left gutted.
One posted on Facebook: "Will soon be a ghost town, absolutely nothing left."
Another commented: "Online (retail) is killing shops."
A New Look spokesperson said: "We would like to thank all of our colleagues and the local community for their support over the years.
"We hope customers continue to shop with us online at newlook.com, where our full product ranges can be found."
The British Retail Consortium predicted that the Treasury's hike to employer NICs would cost the retail sector £2.3billion.
Research published by the British Chambers of Commerce earlier this year shows that more than half of companies planned to raise prices by early April.
Separately, the Centre for Retail Research (CRR) has also warned that around 17,350 retail sites are expected to shut down this year.
It comes on the back of a tough 2024 when 13,000 shops closed their doors for good, already a 28% increase on the previous year.
Professor Joshua Bamfield, director of the CRR said: "The results for 2024 show that although the outcomes for store closures overall were not as poor as in either 2020 or 2022, they are still disconcerting, with worse set to come in 2025."
Professor Bamfield has also warned of a bleak outlook for 2025, predicting that as many as 202,000 jobs could be lost in the sector.
"By increasing both the costs of running stores and the costs on each consumer's household it is highly likely that we will see retail job losses eclipse the height of the pandemic in 2020."
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