CLOSING TIME
‘There’s hardly anything left’ say shoppers as major high street chain with 1,400 stores to shut store for good in HOURS
But the retailer is still planning on opening new stores
A MAJOR high street chain with 1,400 stores in the UK is set to close a branch in just hours.
WHSmith is closing one of its stores in South Cheshire leaving locals frustrated.
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The WHSmith shop store on 35 High Street, Nantwich in South Cheshire will be shutting its doors for the final time on February 24.
The retailer has said all of the store's stock and staff will move to the other WHSmith branch which sits just across the road.
Locals took to Facebook to share their frustration at hearing the news.
One shopper said: “The town centre is looking a bit sad.”
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Another shopper said: “That has been a feature of Nantwich town centre since I was a nipper and probably a good few years before that.”
“There’s hardly anything [left], Nantwich is a great place to shop the towns are so sad,” said someone else.
Someone else suggested it was: “A great opportunity for any independent if the bills are not high.”
A WHSmith spokesperson told the Sun: "We can confirm that the WHSmith store at 35 High Street, Nantwich will be closing on Saturday, February 24."
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"Colleagues will be redeployed to our store at 52-54 High Street and we look forward to continuing to welcome our customers there."
The news comes after WHSmith closed down its Crewe town centre store in Victoria Shopping Centre, last March.
We saw a WHSmith closure earlier this month in Alfreton, Derbyshire just last month.
Just before the end of the last year in December the retailer also closed a store in Manchester.
However, it's not all bad news for WHSmith fans, the retailer recently announced plans to open 15 new stores in unlikely places.
WHSmith is focusing on the travel side of its business where sales are growing.
It plans to open new sites in airports and railway stations, as well as hospitals.
In an update today to investors, the retailer said it's on track to open 15 stores this year, with a further 15 to follow "each year over the medium term".
It forms part of wider plans to open 110 new shops worldwide.
The retailer said it would be moving away from its high-street stores and has no plans to open any more.
This is also explains recent WHSmith store closures.
WHSmith currently has around 1,400 stores in the UK the retailer has and 550 of these are located on the high street.
The retailer has previously said that opening more high-street stores ";would just be a duplication" as the business wants to focus on growth.
What is happening to the high street?
Several other retailers have been struggling to get by over the past few years.
Energy costs have risen and more shoppers than ever are choosing to order online rather than head into stores.
This has left some retailers grappling with budgets and having no choice but to close stores to cut costs.
Troubled fashion brand Superdry has said it is looking at various "cost-saving options" after reports it is considering a major restructuring which could include store closures and job cuts.
Boots revealed it would be closing 300 stores over the next year as part of plans to evolve its brand.
The Body Shop is currently going through administration and announced plans to close half of its 198 stores with seven already closing this week.
Major banks have also announced multiple branch closures.
Barclays is to start pulling the shutters down on 14 sites in England, three in Wales and three in Scotland as soon as April.
Even charity shops are struggling Oxfam confirmed it would close eight of its UK stores last year.
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