‘Sign of things to come’ as iconic coffee chain with 1,100 branches to shut store doors in DAYS
COFFEE fans are bidding goodbye to yet another branch of a major chain.
International coffee giant Starbucks is pulling down the shutters on one of its coffee houses in just a few days.
The chain will be closing its branch in Dalton Park Shopping Centre, County Durham on March 10.
A spokesperson for Starbucks said: “We regularly review our portfolio to ensure our stores are relevant for our customers.
"Our store in Dalton Park Shopping Centre, County Durham will close on 10th March, but we are excited to announce plans for a new drive-thru location in the area soon, as we continue to invest in our UK stores.
"We thank our customers for their loyalty over the years and invite them to find their nearest store on Starbucks Store Locator in the meantime.”
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Local coffee fans took to social media to express their grievances.
One user said: "Takes sadness to new depths of tragedy."
Another added: "I'm sure they haven't been open all that long? Sad."
While a third commented: "It is a worrying sign of things to come."
At the end of last year Starbucks shuttered their coffee house in Botanic Avenue, Belfast, for good.
The chain also closed its branch in Trowbridge, Wiltshire, on July 21, according to local news reports.
In March of last year, the company announced that they would be opening 100 new branches across the UK.
At the time, Starbucks said that it will spend over £30 million to ensure that the new cafes open.
Starbucks already has 1,066 stores open across the UK - 318 of which are company-owned and 748 are run by licensees.
The company also plans to open up a further 300 stores across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
It comes as high streets across the UK have felt the pinch of the rising cost of living in a post-pandemic world.
High inflation since 2022 has seen shoppers' purses and wallets squeezed, meaning they're spending less.
Recent figures reveal inflation is coming down, but prices are rising faster than the Bank of England's 2% target.
Costa is one of the major chains who have suffered - closing 10 sites in the last year, including the branches in Witney, Worcester, and Nottingham.
Caffè Nero was also forced to pull down the shutters on half a dozen stores last year.
Several major brands have also collapsed, such as Wilko and Paperchase.
Boots is set to shut another 10 shops in the coming weeks.
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The hospitality sector has also been hit, seeing pubs like Wetherspoons and restaurants like Frankie & Benny's and Chiquito shut their doors.
Plus, a total of 56 bank branches are set to close their doors in March alone.
Retailers closing stores in 2024
RETAILERS have been feeling the squeeze since the pandemic, while shoppers are cutting back on spending due to the soaring cost of living crisis.
High energy costs and a move to shopping online are also taking a toll, and many high street shops have struggled to keep going.
Here's a list of all the big-name brands closing stores this year:
- Argos - The brand announced plans to close 100 standalone UK branches last year as it looks to move away from the high street and focus on expanding its presence in supermarkets.
- B&Q - The chain has over 300 shops across the UK, so chances are you have one near you, but some stores have closed in recent months.
- Boots - The health and beauty chain announced that it would be closing 300 stores last July. Closures are ongoing and this will see the retailer's estate reduced from 2,200 to 1,900 shops.
- Clintons - Clintons mulled plans to close 38 shops in a bid to avoid insolvency late last year. We've listed the stores affected.
- Costa Coffee - The caffeine giant has around 2,000 sites nationwide, so chances are you'll have one near you. The chain has shut the doors to dozens of its sites recently. We've revealed which stores are due to close this year.
- Iceland - The supermarket has more than 900 stores but closed nearly two dozen sites in 2023, and more selected shops are due to shut.
- Lidl - The supermarket, which has 950 stores, is changing up shop locations, which has meant that some stores have to close. But the retailer is also looking to open 12 new supermarkets.
- M&S - M&S, which runs 405 stores across the country, has been closing a string of branches across the country in a blow for shoppers. It's not all bad news, though, because the chain also has big plans to open dozens of new shops as well.
- Trespass - The firm announced in July last year that it was closing six branches, but more are on the way.
- WHSmith - The retail giant, which runs over 1,100 stores, has shuttered eight stores since March 2023, but more are coming.