Popular Stores Closing in UK
- Tesco, Starbucks, Marks and Spencer, and Wickes announce closures across the UK.
- Several high street favorites are shutting down, impacting shoppers in the UK.
- Years of ongoing store closures by popular brands lead to these closures.
In a continuing trend of high street retail downsizing, several well-known brands, including Marks and Spencer, Tesco, and Starbucks, have announced the closure of physical locations across the UK. This follows a series of closures from other popular retailers such as Boots, The Body Shop, Ted Baker, and House of Fraser, which have all scaled back their presence on the high street. Notably, Wilko has made a surprising return after previously abandoning shopping centres. This week marks the closure of Tesco's Chippenham branch, located in the Emery Gate Shopping Centre, which officially shut its doors on August 15. Shoppers in the area will soon have access to a new Tesco Express store nearby, as the supermarket adapts to changing consumer habits. Meanwhile, Marks and Spencer has also closed its store in Redhill, Surrey, as part of a broader restructuring plan announced in October 2022. The closure of the Marks and Spencer store has elicited sadness from local management, with Andy Nash, manager of the Belfry Shopping Centre, lamenting the loss of a "much loved" site that had served the community for 33 years. Additionally, Starbucks has ceased operations at its Market Square location in Witney, with customers expressing their appreciation for the staff and the service they received. Despite speculation about Starbucks potentially moving into a nearby vacant location, the company has confirmed that there are no plans for a new store in that area, leaving loyal customers to bid farewell to their local branch.