Store closures happening this week
Tesco
On August 15, Tesco will close its superstore in Chippenham, Wiltshire for good. The supermarket chain, which is the largest in Great Britain, confirmed the closure of the Emery Gate Shopping Centre branch in January.
However, only recently did the retailer announce an exact closure date after a long-anticipated wait from locals. The closure will be a sad loss for those in the area who rely on the town centre location of the superstore site.
It’s not all bad news though as Tesco will remain in the area, though only in the smaller capacity of an Express site which is opening nearby.
Local news reports detail the “extensive renovation works” that have been taking place at the former Wilko building on Chippenham High Street; the address of the new Tesco Express branch.
The former discount store has been converted into three units by the Harkalm Group, which says two have now been filled. Shoppers will find a new Starbucks branch located next to the Tesco site, though the third unit remains on the market with no occupant yet confirmed, according to The Gazette and Herald.
Marks and Spencer
The British retailer will close a beloved shopping centre branch that’s been attracting M&S shoppers for more than three decades.
Shoppers in Redhill, Surrey may have viewed the 33-year-old M&S store as a permanent fixture of the Belfry Shopping Centre, but the branch is set to close on Saturday, August 17. It comes as part of the brand’s major reshuffle of its UK sites.
With a four out of five-star rating on Google and 495 reviews, the branch has been praised by shoppers for its “helpful” and “accommodating” staff.
But it didn’t escape the cut when the high street brand announced that it was moving away from its old store format and shifting its focus to the Foodhall strand of the business.
Wickes
The DIY giant Wickes will close down its 30-year-old store in Moore Street, Sheffield this weekend. Fans of the property-focused chain will see the branch close for good on Friday, August 16.
It follows the recent closure of another Wickes outlet in Bristol, though the company has reassured customers that it’s not a sign of more widespread changes to its store portfolio.
Speculation that the Sheffield store closure is down to a new “clean air zone” in the area arose after a staff member revealed their suspicions to the local news publication, The Star. They said: “To be honest, when the Clean Air Zone started, business dropped like a stone.”
Sheffield City Council explained that it’s a class C chargeable Clean Air Zone for the most polluting heavy goods vehicles (HGVs), light goods vehicles (LGVs), vans, buses, coaches and taxis. It means white van traders who frequent the Wickes shop are subject to £10 fees, according to staff.
