DOORS SHUTTING
High street discount chain with 187 stores to close town centre branch for good in DAYS
Keep scrolling to learn about why stores are closing down
A BELOVED discount chain is set to pull the shutters down one of its stores in just a matter of days.
The Original Factory Shop has announced the closure of another of its locations.
1
The discounter is pulling the plug on its branch in Haverfordwest, Wales on December 14.
In a post on social media, bosses thanked locals for their support over the years.
They said: "We take this opportunity to thank all of the local community and our store colleagues for their support throughout our time here in Haverfordwest."
Locals have shared their disappointment over the closure online.
READ MORE ON CLOSURES
One shopper wrote: "Gutting loved coming in to the shop honestly another loss to Haverfordwest."
Another said: "I will be so sad to see this lovely little shop going. Always such friendly, helpful staff. Good luck ladies in whatever work you do next."
While a third commented: "This is so sad, and on top of Christmas, feel gutted for them."
A fourth posted: "Sorry to hear you are losing - it’s always been a great place for bargains."
Most read in Money
"Such lovely nice staff, really sad news," another commented.
Others made plans to visit the store, which has since announced it's hosting a 50% off sale.
Britain's retail apocalypse: why your favourite stores KEEP closing down
One wrote: "Will have to pop over 27th and get some Christmas presents."
And another said: "We'll have to pop in one day."
Other The Original Factory Shop closures
The Deal store closure is not the only one to be announced by The Original Factory Shop this year either.
It has already pulled the shutters down on seven stores in recent months:
- Brightlingsea, Essex
- Bodmin, Cornwall
- Chepstow, Wales
- Fakenham, Norfolk
- Harwich, Essex
- Mildenhall, Suffolk
- Padiham, Lancashire
- Taunton, Somerset
- Deal, Kent
It comes after the retailer, known for selling everything from clothing to homeware and stationery, shut a number of branches last year.
Why are retailers closing shops?
EMPTY shops have become an eyesore on many British high streets and are often symbolic of a town centre’s decline.
The Sun's business editor Ashley Armstrong explains why so many retailers are shutting their doors.
In many cases, retailers are shutting stores because they are no longer the money-makers they once were because of the rise of online shopping.
Falling store sales and rising staff costs have made it even more expensive for shops to stay open. In some cases, retailers are shutting a store and reopening a new shop at the other end of a high street to reflect how a town has changed.
The problem is that when a big shop closes, footfall falls across the local high street, which puts more shops at risk of closing.
Retail parks are increasingly popular with shoppers, who want to be able to get easy, free parking at a time when local councils have hiked parking charges in towns.
Many retailers including Next and Marks & Spencer have been shutting stores on the high street and taking bigger stores in better-performing retail parks instead.
Boss Stuart Machin recently said that when it relocated a tired store in Chesterfield to a new big store in a retail park half a mile away, its sales in the area rose by 103 per cent.
In some cases, stores have been shut when a retailer goes bust, as in the case of Wilko, Debenhams Topshop, Dorothy Perkins and Paperchase to name a few.
What’s increasingly common is when a chain goes bust a rival retailer or private equity firm snaps up the intellectual property rights so they can own the brand and sell it online.
They may go on to open a handful of stores if there is customer demand, but there are rarely ever as many stores or in the same places.
But it's not all bad news, as it has been opening stores across the UK too, as it shakes up its presence on the high street.
The full list of stores that have opened since August 2023 includes:
- Kirkintilloch - opened August 24
- Stonehaven - opened August 31
- Blandford Forum - opened August 31
- Haddington - opened September 7
- Wetherby - opened September 7
- Nairn - opened September 14
- Ashbourne - opened September 14
- Castle Douglas - opened September 21
- Penrith - opened September 21
- Inverness - opened September 28
- Attleborough - opened September 28
- Ayr - opened October 5
- Ringwood - opened October 5
- Perth - opened October 12
- Lanark - opened October 19
- Peterhead - opened October 26
OTHER STORE CLOSURES
It's not just WHSmith closing stores across the UK.
Dobbies set to shut 16 of its branches has said that they will close before Christmas.
The garden centre chain first revealed that it was shutting sites last month but did not say exactly when they would close their doors for the final time.
The chain, which has 77 sites across the UK, launched the restructuring plan to address "historically uneconomical rent costs".
A trendy fashion chain owned by H&M will close all of its stores in a shock move for the high street.
Monki has seven stores in the UK, including a site on London's Carnaby Street and Manchester's Arndale Centre.
That's because H&M has plans to either shut down Monki stores or merge them with another one of its fashion brands, Weekday.
The Scandinavian retail giant wants to blend the two brands together to make a one-stop shop that appeals to young shoppers.
Elsewhere, card retailer Clintons is set to close another store and have launched a huge closing-down sale.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
Andover, Hampshire is to lose its Clintons branch on the high street when it shuts its doors for the final time next year.
Many other Clintons stores are set to close in the coming months, with one in Southend-on-Sea, Essex due to shut in January next year.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing [email protected].
Plus, you can join our Facebook group to share your tips and stories
Topics