Major UK chain shutting 145 stores – full closure list just released

A major UK retailer has confirmed it will shut 145 stores nationwide, publishing a full closure list that’s already being pored over street by street. High streets from Aberdeen to Penzance are asking the same question: is ours on it? Beyond the map pins and dates, this is about routines, jobs, and the quiet rituals of everyday shopping that suddenly feel fragile.

I was outside a branch at opening time, the kind that sits between a bakery and a charity shop, when the first customers noticed the white paper squares taped across the window. “Store closing. Final weeks.” A woman in a navy fleece pressed her hand to the glass, then laughed it off and went in for batteries and a birthday card. The team inside were doing that brave retail smile, while a manager folded a stack of uniforms into a cardboard box as if it were just another end-of-line. Two lads took selfies beside a rack of yellow stickers. The list is out.

What’s happening — and why this round of closures feels different

On paper, 145 stores sounds like pruning. Walk it, and it feels like amputation. A cluster here, a strip there, several in small towns where the shop doubles as a meeting point with a roof. You can trace the pattern not just across a map, but across habits: the impulse top-up, the fix‑it‑fast, the errand you squeeze between school run and bus home. *When these places go dark, a street loses more than stock and staff.* The rhythm changes.

Talk to people and you hear the same tiny jolt. A coastal town says goodbye to the only late‑opening shop within a ten‑minute walk. A Midlands market town loses its easy pick‑up point, and suddenly a click‑and‑collect becomes a 40‑minute drive. There’s a comfort in the reliable brand sign you can spot from halfway down the road. When that sign vanishes, it’s not just inconvenience. It’s the faint, disorienting sense that the centre you know is slowly being redrawn while you’re still living inside it.

Behind the decision sits a familiar mix: energy bills that went through the roof, rent that didn’t flex, labour squeezed to the bone, and customers who got used to the one‑tap certainty of ordering from the sofa. Retailers call it “portfolio optimisation”, which means fewer, better‑performing sites and more on wheels to your door. The closure list shows concentration where leases are up, overlap between stores, and places where footfall never recovered to steady, pre-2020 levels. It’s strategy in spreadsheet form — but the real measure is measured in footsteps that no longer happen.

How to check the list — and what to do if your local is on it

Start with the official list. It’s published on the retailer’s site, with locations and target weeks for final trading. Filter by region, then scan for the branches you use, including any you rely on for returns or services. If there are dates, screenshot them. If there aren’t, set a calendar reminder to check again in a week. Before you do anything else, look for notes about last order dates, last click‑and‑collect days, and where services transfer. **One careful read now can save three panicked trips later.**

Next, clear the practical stuff. Spend down gift cards, because once a branch shutters, your local fallback may be miles away. Move prescriptions, photo prints, or repairs if the store handles them. If you’ve got loyalty points, redeem or migrate them if that’s offered. And returns: bring them forward. Let’s be honest: nobody actually does this every day. We wait, we forget, we stuff the bag in the hall. We’ve all had that moment when a queue and a deadline collide. Beat it by picking one midweek slot and doing the boring things in one go.

Some readers say the hardest part is the uncertainty. Is it next month, or “later this year”? Ask in store, but don’t expect staff to have the full picture on day one. They’re processing this too, while keeping things running.

“Don’t panic‑shop, and don’t doom‑scroll. Plan the essentials, and give people serving you a bit of grace. They’re packing up their working life while ringing up your basket.”

Here’s a quick checklist to pin or share:

• Returns: bring forward anything within the window; keep receipts handy.
• Gift cards: spend sooner rather than later; check any redemption limits.
• Loyalty: look for transfer options or bonus windows before closure.
• Services: note where repairs/prescriptions/photo kiosks are moving.
• Alternatives: map the nearest surviving branch or the online route.

The bigger picture behind 145 closures

Call this a reset, but it’s really a redraw. The chain is slimming to stores that can carry more stock, more services, more reasons to visit, while everything else migrates to vans and apps. Town centres that depended on that dependable mid‑market anchor will feel the gap, and we’ll see a knock‑on for the bakery, the nail bar, the bus stop. **A store is a habit machine, and habits create life around them.** There’s room for optimism — some sites will be reborn by independents or discount operators, and landlords are finally getting realistic on rent — yet the transition is uneven. In well‑off suburbs, choice grows. In stretched towns, choice shrinks. What we do next matters: shop the places we want to keep, speak up when councils shape empty units, and share knowledge fast. Streets adapt best when people do it together.

FAQ :

• Which stores are closing?The retailer has released a full location list on its website; search by region or town to see if yours is included.
• When will my local branch shut?Some sites have target weeks; others are listed as “later this year.” Check back weekly, as dates can move with lease talks.
• Is the company going bust?The announcement frames this as a restructure and footprint reduction. It’s about concentrating on stronger sites and online.
• What happens to gift cards and returns?They work as normal while stores trade. After closure, you may need to redeem online or at another branch, if available.
• Will staff be offered other roles?The company says redeployment is being explored where possible, with redundancy consulted where not. Ask in store for local detail.