‘What a waste of time’ as high street fashion retailer owned by Mike Ashley to close store after just three months
A HIGH street fashion retailer is set to close a store after just three months, leaving shoppers baffled.
Flannels will be pulling down the shutters of its site in Bradford in the new year, despite only opening back in October.
The store, within The Broadway shopping centre, took over the former Tessuti site.
Now the posh-designer clothing shop is due to close its doors in January 2024.
A spokeswoman for Frasers Group, which owns Flanners, said: “It is with regret that we are announcing the closure of Flannels Bradford due to demands outside of our control.
“This will take place in early 2024.
“We would like to take this opportunity to thank our staff for their hard work and dedication.
“Where possible, we are committed to finding new roles within the Group for staff.”
This is understood to be due to the former Tessuti lease coming to an end and not being renewed after the takeover.
Flannels sells multiple different brands in its stores, including a selection of designer apparel, accessories, and footwear.
It too was bought by Mike Ashley‘s Frasers Group in 2017 and has been running since 1976.
The chain now has more than 75 stores across the UK, including its Flannels junior shops.
Some shoppers have said that the site was only ever meant to be a temporary fixture in the shopping centre.
One said: “What a waste of time it was to open at all.”
Another wrote: “The whole place will be pound shops before long.”
A third commented: “What a load of Flannel.”
And a fourth said: “Once I saw the cheap Flannels signage in the old Tessuti retail unit in the Broadway and the lack of any work done to upgrade the interior of the unit it was plainly obvious the owners were just seeing out the rest of the old Tessuti lease.”
The shopping centre has not yet revealed what will be replacing the store.
Tessuti was bought in 2022 by the Frasers Group, along with 14 other brands including Choice, Watch Shop and Missy Empire.
It moved into the shopping mall in 2016, shortly after the centre opened its doors.
Earlier this year a sign was spotted on the shop’s window stating that it will be closing in July.
The sign also urged shoppers to head over to the Flannels website, indicating a rebrand.
Similar signs were also seen in several Choice stores back in September.
The clothing chain Choice has pulled the shutters down on one of its stores in Bromley.
Since then the site has been reopened as a Flannels shop.
The news comes as House of Fraser confirmed it is pulling down the shutters on another unit after closing stores in Guildford and Solihull this year.
Shoppers were found rushing to the stores to pick up some last-minute closing-down sale deals.
Now, the retailer has announced it is closing its branch in Lakeside Shopping Centre, Grays, Essex, in January 2024.
Frasers Group has also already started opening “new concept” stores.
In September, it cut the ribbon on the latest of its new department stores combining popular brands like Sports Direct and Game in Norwich.
There are plans to open two further sites in Blackpool and Sheffield.
Retailers have been feeling the pinch since the pandemic while shoppers are cutting back on spending due to soaring inflation.
High energy costs and a shift to shopping online after the pandemic are also taking a toll and many high street shops have struggled to keep going.
Brick-and-mortar stores have also seen a lack of footfall due to consumer habits switching to online shopping.
Fashion retailer New Look, which has 400 locations nationwide, shut another one of its branches over the weekend for good.
Co-op‘s College Green store in Bristol will be closing its doors for the final time on December 9.
Jack Wills in Worcester announced it will be closing down for good this new year.
It’s not just shops either, pubs and restaurants have been affected too.
Punters have been left gutted and reminiscing over their last pint as another Wetherspoons pub closed this weekend.
Franco Manca, which has 70 branches, is to close its original site after 15 years.
Meanwhile, here is every shop closing down in December including Poundland and New Look.
Plus, nineteen bank branches are set to close their doors for the final time in December – see the full list.
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