Big high street chain with over 450 branches to abruptly close store for good within days
A BIG high street chain with more than 450 stores is to abruptly close one of its branches.
Pets at Home is pulling down the shutters on one of its stores in just a few days time.
In a post on Facebook, staff at the retailer’s branch in Forster Square, Bradford, revealed that it will close on Thursday, August 31.
The emotional post read: “It’s with a heavy heart that we have to bid farewell to an amazing town and a community that welcomed us with open arms from day one.
‘We have made some truly special friends, both four and two legged and we’re so sad to be having to say goodbye.
“It has truly been an honour to help and support your pets, whether finding that perfect food for tricky tums or getting that coat to fit just right.
“I can assure you that this decision was not an easy one and not taken lightly, but due to a number of factors we have to say goodbye to Bradford Forster Square.”
The site will remain open until then and is operating as normal.
Pets At Home has more than 450 stores nationwide and sells a variety of pet supplies and small animals, including hamsters and rabbits.
The chain recently revealed plans to open 40 new stores over the next five years.
A list of locations is yet to be finalised, but Pets at Home told The Sun that the majority will be within the M25 and in urban areas.
It opened two new branches and renovated nine of its stores in the first half of this year, including shops in Spalding and Leeds.
Other store closures
Soaring inflation has left shoppers strapped for cash, and retailers are struggling to get customers to part with their hard-earned money.
High energy costs and a shift to online shopping are also taking a toll and many brands just haven’t been able to keep going.
Supermarket chain Iceland has shut 13 supermarkets so far this year, with more closures to come.
Iceland is to close its shops in Crewe and Birkenhead in the next few weeks.
While Tesco is to permanently close one of its stores within weeks after axing its discount chain.
Wilko collapsed into administration earlier this month after failing to find new backing for the business.
It puts the chain’s 400 stores at risk of closing and around 12,500 jobs on the line.
But a second last-minute bid to rescue the ailing business has since been received by private equity firm M2 Capital.
Meanwhile, Boots is set to close 300 shops across the country over the next year.
While Boots hasn’t confirmed the exact locations of all, those which are set to shut are said to be shops which are close to another site.
If you want to know how your local high street is affected, you can check out our handy guide to all the shops closing down in August.
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