Marks & Spencer, Tesco and Wickes are shutting down locations across the country this week in a blow to Britain’s high streets.
Store closures have ramped up in recent years following the Covid-19 pandemic and changing consumer behaviour.
Here is a full list of the store closures taking place this week from the country’s biggest retailers:
- Tesco – Chippenham, Wiltshire store closes on August 15
- Marks & Spencer – Redhill, Surrey store closes on August 17
- Wickes – Moore Street, Sheffield store closes on August 16.
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Britain’s high streets have been hit by a wave of store closures as of late PAIn January, Tesco confirmed the closure of its branch in the Emery Gate Shopping Centre but will continue to operate in the area.
The country’s biggest supermarket chain’s Express store on Chippenham High Street is currently going through “extensive renovation works”.
After three decades, Marks & Spencer customers in shoppers based in Surrey will have to rely on other branches outside of the brand’s Redhill store.
This comes amid a wider reshuffle of the department store chain’s portfolio.
The closure of Wickes’ Sheffield store comes amid multiple of its sites shutting down in recent years.
Recently, Sainsbury’s CEO Simon Roberts warned that more than 17,000 stores are at risk of closure in the UK over the next decade.
In a joint article with Usdaw’s general secretary Paddy Lillis, Roberts called for reform to the Government business rates.
According to the pair, failure to cut these rates will result in hundreds of jobs being lost.
The duo explained: “The number one barrier to growth in our industry is the outmoded business rates system.”
“Successive Governments have promised reform but have only ever tinkered around the edges. The result? Shops closing, jobs lost, economic growth stunted.”
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High street shops across the UK continue to closeGETTY
Analysis from Development Economics revealed that 17,300 shops could close for good by 2033-34.
This represents the worst possible scenario if the Government does not take action with 42,000 jobs in the firing line.
If there is a 20 per cent drop in headline business rates, high street businesses would save £1billion during the first year.
In turn, it is estimated that this would save more than 17,000 new jobs.