Decathlon has confirmed the closure of one of its stores in the West Midlands this autumn.
The French sporting goods retailer will bid farewell to a major branch in Shropshire that opened just six years ago.
Shoppers in Telford will have until November 3 to visit the store located at the Forge Retail Park. The prestigious shopping park is anchored by Sainsbury’s, Currys, Boots, and Next.
News of the Decathlon closure has shocked shoppers, with the Retail Park being the dominant out-of-town shopping destination in the area.
It is located in a prominent position just to the west of Telford town centre and adjacent to Junction 5 of the M54 motorway.
Michael McHale, Regional Leader at Decathlon UK, expressed his sadness over the closure but remained optimistic about continuing to serve customers at nearby stores.
The Telford branch, which has been a part of the shopping centre since 2018, is closing as part of a “brand refresh” and a “broader review” of its store network.
However, residents have expressed their disappointment over the news, with one commenting on Instagram: “Great shop. I guess expensive rent forced this, and now they get no rent at all.”
Another comment on Facebook said, “Great shop – sad to see it closing.”
Customers have been informed they can use their vouchers at the Wednesbury store until the end of the year.
However, the closest neighbouring store in Wednesbury is 24 miles from the Forge Retail Park, so many shoppers won’t be able to use their vouchers.
The journey by car also goes via a main road, the M54, which is prone to heavy traffic. On a bad day, it can take around one hour.
Fortunately, the sports retailer offers online shopping with free click-and-collect on some orders.
The decision to shutter the Decathlon branch comes amid a wave of recent closures on high streets across the UK. Various retailers are shutting down branches for different reasons, such as when a store lease ends.
According to PwC, stores closed across the country at a rate of 38 per day on average in the first half of 2024. Mass closures have been credited to the rise of online shopping and ongoing economic pressures.
Decathlonjoins several major retailers in closing shops, including Marks and Spencer, Boots, Tesco, Game and Trespass.
