BYE BYE
High street card shop with over 60 locations launches another ‘everything must go’ closing down sale
The retailer is yet to announce its final day of trading, however
A HIGH street card shop with over 60 locations has launched another 'everything must go' closing down sale.
Cardzone in Stroud, Gloucestershire, has put up a sign saying there is 20% off all products as it prepares to bring the shutters down for good.
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Located in Stroud High Street, the card and gift retailer is yet to announce its final day of trading.
But shoppers hoping to make one last purchase should do so sooner rather than later.
The store is currently open between 9am - 4.30pm, Monday to Friday.
On Saturdays they remain open until 5pm, before closing fully on Sundays.
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It remains unclear whether these opening times will be affected by the store's impending closure.
Cardzone's closure is just the latest change to Stroud's High Street, however, with Shoezone shutting for good on Friday, April 19, the report.
Clarks is also due to shut down over the next month.
Following the news of Cardzone's closure, one disgruntled local said Stroud will "soon consist" of just eateries "and charity shops".
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It comes after "store closing down" and "everything must go" signs were spotted in the windows of the Reigate Cardzone branch.
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A spokesperson for Cardzone previously told The Sun that the store will close in early 2024 - but did not reveal an exact date.
Two other Cardzone stores shut their doors for good last year.
The retailer, which has stores across the UK, shut branches in Beeston and Kirkby in Ashfield, both in Nottinghamshire.
It's not just card retailers which have been struggling in recent years, however.
The high street has been hit hard as people turn to online retail and away from physical sites.
High inflation from last year has meant households' budgets haven't stretched as far either.
It has seen some retailers, including Paperchase and Wilko go bust completely.
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Others have been forced to close stores to ensure they stay profitable.
The Sun has contacted Cardzone for comment.
Why are retailers closing stores?
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 after the pandemic are also taking a toll, and many high street shops have struggled to keep going.
The high street has seen a whole raft of closures over the past year, and more are coming.
The number of jobs lost in British retail dropped last year, but 120,000 people still lost their employment, figures have suggested.
Figures from the Centre for Retail Research revealed that 10,494 shops closed for the last time during 2023, and 119,405 jobs were lost in the sector.
It was fewer shops than had been lost for several years, and a reduction from 151,641 jobs lost in 2022.
The centre's director, Professor Joshua Bamfield, said the improvement is "less bad" than good.
Although there were some big-name losses from the high street, including Wilko, many large companies had already gone bust before 2022, the centre said, such as Topshop owner Arcadia, Jessops and Debenhams.
"The cost-of-living crisis, inflation and increases in interest rates have led many consumers to tighten their belts, reducing retail spend," Prof Bamfield said.
"Retailers themselves have suffered increasing energy and occupancy costs, staff shortages and falling demand that have made rebuilding profits after extensive store closures during the pandemic exceptionally difficult."
Alongside Wilko, which employed around 12,000 people when it collapsed, 2023's biggest failures included Paperchase, Cath Kidston, Planet Organic and Tile Giant.
The Centre for Retail Research said most stores were closed because companies were trying to reorganise and cut costs rather than the business failing.
However, experts have warned there will likely be more failures this year as consumers keep their belts tight and borrowing costs soar for businesses.
The Body Shop and Ted Baker are the biggest names to have already collapsed into administration this year.
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