A number of high street retailers are continuing to close stores throughout January.
Due to the growth of online shopping and the emergence of out-of-town retail parks, many stores are closing, creating difficult times for stores in Britain’s high streets. Retailers are increasingly blaming changes in the Government budget for the impact of the cost of living on consumers’ buying patterns.
Greggs, Iceland, Matalan and The Entertainer have already said goodbye to a couple of their stores across the UK this month.
Here is a list of confirmed upcoming store closings for January 2025.
New Look
More closures are estimated for New Look (PA) (PA Archive)
The owner of New Look has closed a number of stores in recent years, and the company is looking at more closures.
CEO Helen Connolly has warned that some 25 per cent of New Look’s 364 UK locations could close when their leases expire.
According to The Times’ most recent analysis, the “probable acceleration of closures is a direct result of the significant cost increases announced in October’s budget” even if New Look would have closed some outlets anyhow.
The fashion company operated around 600 outlets in the UK in 2018. Due to the retailer’s two subsequent store estate overhauls, it currently only has 364 locations, all of which are subject to short leases that tie rents to shop turnover.
Shoe Zone
Retailer Shoe Zone is closing a number of London stores (Mike Egerton/PA) (PA Wire)
Bosses are blaming Labour’s plans in the autumn Budget 2024 for the closures of the well-known city centre shoe business, which is expected to close 20 or more locations in the UK.
Some of the closures include stores in London:
Full list is available here.
A representative for Shoe Zone said that “significant additional costs” had been incurred as a result of the Chancellor’s decision to raise the minimum wage and employers’ national insurance contributions.
Starbucks
Even the coffee shop giant is letting go of some coffee shops (Nick Ansell/PA) (PA Archive)
Two of Starbucks’ coffee shops will wave goodbye to the UK this month.
The Dumfries High Street coffee shop will close on Sunday, January 12. In order to satisfy their appetites, customers will now be directed to the store located on Annan Road in Dumfries.
A second location in Cineworld in Sixfields Leisure, meanwhile, is scheduled to permanently close on January 19. This comes after the network of cinemas said it was closing a number of its locations.
WHSmith
Retailer WHSmith has a dismal future. (Philip Toscano/PA) (PA Wire)
On Saturday, January 18, Dorset’s Old Christchurch Road location of the stationery giant WHSmith will close.
Although the chain’s high street locations have a dismal future, WHSmith executives have confirmed that 15 additional locations will open in the upcoming year primarily in train stations and airports.
The Body Shop
800 people were laid off in 2024 after The Body Shop went into administration (Lucy North/PA) (PA Archive)
In February of last year, The Body Shop went into administration, which led to the layoff of 800 employees. In the weeks following the administration, an astounding 82 stores closed, but in September 2024, Aurea Group saved hundreds of other locations.
The firm unfortunately couldn’t save all and declared that two of its outlets would close in January.
On January 15, The Body Shop will close its Orchard Square location in Sheffield, which has been there for 30 years.
On the same day, a second store located in Norwich’s Castle Street will close.
Monki
Monki is an apparel chain owned by H&M (Getty Images)
The apparel chain owned by H&M plans will close the store at Manchester’s Arndale Centre on January 17.
One of the stores in Newcastle Upon Tyne’s Intu shopping mall has already closed on January 2.