Beloved family-run homeware store to close after 45 years on high street as branch becomes ‘unviable’
A RENOWNED homeware store is closing after 45 years, having become "unviable."
Gardiner Haskins has announced it will be closing its Cirencester branch, saying the decision comes as high streets across the UK continue to struggle.
The store has been a key part of the Cirencester community for decades, supporting local charities and even sponsoring Cirencester Town Football Club.
Managing Director Ben Allen said: "This is sad news for our staff and the community we have served for over 45 years.
";We are incredibly grateful to our loyal customers for their support."
Gardiner Haskins has assured customers that all outstanding orders will be fulfilled before closing.
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After-sales support will be handled by its Bristol store, which will continue trading as normal.
The company is also offering enhanced redundancy packages and job-hunting support for affected employees.
Many independent retailers are facing tough times due to increasing costs and a shift towards online shopping.
Gardiner Haskins is not the only business feeling the strain—other long-standing stores have also had to shut their doors in recent years as footfall declines and expenses rise.
For now, the company says it is focusing on ensuring an "orderly closure" while supporting both customers and staff during this difficult transition.
High street retailers across the UK are facing increasing pressure due to rising costs, changing consumer habits, and online competition.
Many well-established names have struggled to stay afloat, leading to a wave of closures.
Other high street shops closing include WH Smith, Homebase, and Sainsbury's.
WH Smith will close 17 stores by May 2025 as part of a restructuring plan to prioritise its more profitable travel outlets, while Homebase is set to shut 13 locations by the end of January 2025 due to declining foot traffic and rising operational costs.
Meanwhile, Currys, the go-to for everything from phones to washing machines, is pulling the plug on its Nottingham city centre store on 1 February.
The chain still has two other stores in the East Midlands, which will stay open and trade as usual.
RETAIL PAIN IN 2025
The British Retail Consortium has predicted that the Treasury's hike to employer NICs will cost the retail sector £2.3billion.
Research by the British Chambers of Commerce shows that more than half of companies plan to raise prices by early April.
A survey of more than 4,800 firms found that 55% expect prices to increase in the next three months, up from 39% in a similar poll conducted in the latter half of 2024.
Research by the British Chambers of Commerce shows that more than half of companies plan to raise prices by early April.
A survey of more than 4,800 firms found that 55% expect prices to increase in the next three months, up from 39% in a similar poll conducted in the latter half of 2024.
Three-quarters of companies cited the cost of employing people as their primary financial pressure.
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."