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

A major UK retailer has confirmed 145 store closures nationwide, releasing the full list just hours ago. Streets are bracing for shutters, staff are counting days, and customers are checking postcodes.

I stood outside a familiar shop front at lunch, watching a small cluster of people read a notice they didn’t want to believe. A mother with a buggy, two teens on bikes, a delivery driver pulling up and pausing at the door. The paper sign was blunt and tidy: this branch will close soon, see the full list online. The shutters looked heavier than usual. A shop I’ve walked past for years suddenly felt like a memory being packed into a box. I could hear the low-tier buzz we all make when we’re processing bad news in public. People took photos. No one lingered long. We’ve all had that moment where you push on a door that doesn’t open any more. And you feel a town get quieter by half a notch. The company says 145 sites are going. That number lands like a thud.

The shock lands, postcode by postcode

The scale is jarring because it arrives as a list. Not a rumour, not a “maybe,” but a concrete roll call of high streets from Cornwall to the Highlands. You read it and start connecting dots: the branch by the bus station, the one near the old market, the that place where you bought school shoes. Cameras often point at the first shutter to fall, yet the bigger story is what happens in the weeks after. Footfall shifts. Habits snap. A familiar shortcut stops making sense. **The list is public now, and it has a way of making the map feel smaller.**

One message pinged my phone from a friend in a Midlands market town: “They’ve put ours on the list.” She wrote it as if naming a person. The staff there have been a fixture—faces you recognise even if you don’t know their names. She told me they’re clean-sweeping the shelves, counting all the way to the final day. Shoppers are already doing last laps, picking up bits and saying thanks. That’s the quiet choreography you see when a store’s fate is sealed. Small kindnesses, quick chats, a card taped to the service desk. It’s not dramatic. It’s human.

There’s a logic beneath the shock. Rents and rates have risen, energy prices have bitten, and online baskets keep swelling. Leases meet their break points and get quietly surrendered. Some branches were outliers already—too big, too small, too close to a stronger site. And when a national chain recalibrates, it tends to do it in clusters, which is why 145 arrives at once. **Think of it less as 145 isolated decisions and more as a single, sweeping edit to the retail layout of Britain.** That doesn’t make it easier for a city that loses a key anchor store. It just explains the rhythm.

If your local branch is on the list

Start with the basics: timelines, services, and your own to-dos. Check the company’s announcement page and search by postcode; most closure lists now include final trading dates and nearest alternatives. If you’ve got gift cards, loyalty points, or returns in play, bring them forward. Snap a quick photo of any window notice with dates and contacts. And if the store handles anything time-sensitive—prescriptions, click-and-collect, alterations—move that appointment while slots are still open. Small admin tasks done early save stress later. Let the staff know you appreciate them. Those words matter more than we admit.

People often forget the digital breadcrumbs. Update saved locations in your phone. Switch your default store in the retailer’s app. Cancel auto top-ups linked to a specific branch. If you use a community service that depended on that shop—parcel pick-ups, late-night essentials—sketch a Plan B with a nearby option. Let’s be honest: nobody does that every day. But spending ten minutes now means you won’t be stuck on a wet Thursday wondering where your collection went. And if you’re caring for someone who relied on that store, loop them in gently. Change hits harder when it arrives by surprise.

Think in categories rather than just names on a shopfront. If it’s a grocer, note the last delivery date and any fixed-price subscriptions. If it’s fashion, ask about returns windows and whether online exchanges will extend for affected postcodes. Banks and building societies are their own world—cash services, ATMs, and in-branch support all shift. Pharmacies carry continuity duties; check where prescriptions will transfer and how repeats are handled.

“When a familiar store leaves, a habit leaves with it. Replace the habit fast, or the gap gets bigger.”

• Find the official closure page and search your postcode.
• Use your gift cards and transfer loyalty points this week.
• Move urgent services: prescriptions, collections, alterations.
• Switch default store settings in apps and saved maps.
• Note the nearest alternative and its opening hours.

What this means for the high street we share

Store closures don’t just thin out a shopping list; they reshape how a neighbourhood moves. The gap next door becomes a shadow over the café, the charity shop, the bus stop crowd. Independent traders tell me footfall dips, then stabilises if another draw arrives. Local councils juggle rates relief, pop-up licences, and short-term lets to keep the lights on. There’s hope in flexible space—market stalls, maker collectives, community hubs—but it asks for quick coordination. **Not every vacant unit is a tragedy, and not every closure is permanent.** Still, a bold patchwork beats a row of blank facades. If you’ve got an idea worth testing, this is the moment. A shut door can be a quiet invitation.

FAQ :

• Which places are on the closure list?The company has published the full list on its website, searchable by town and postcode. Look for “Store Closures” or “Network changes” in the news or customer updates section.
• When will the closures happen?Most sites have a final trading date, often staggered over several weeks. Window notices typically display the last day and the nearest alternative branch.
• What happens to gift cards and loyalty points?They usually remain valid online and at remaining stores. Use them sooner rather than later to avoid last-minute rushes or website queues.
• Can I still return items bought from a closing store?Yes, returns are usually accepted online and in open branches within standard timeframes. Keep your receipt and check if affected postcodes get an extended window.
• Will staff be redeployed?Many teams are offered transfers where roles exist nearby. Final decisions vary by site, so ask in store or check the careers/update pages for your area.