‘Another gone’ complain shoppers as bargain chain with over 500 branches to close location – but it’s not all bad news
SHOPPERS have been left disappointed after a bargain chain with over 500 branches is set to close one of its locations.
The discount retail giant is bidding farewell to its Hertford Street branch in Coventry.
Bargain hunters have been left disappointed as The Works is leaving their bustling hub.
A money-saver shared a social media post saying the retailer is urging shoppers to rush as all stock must be cleared.
The user said: “Huge Closing Down Sale at The Works Coventry! Everything Must Go!”
The discount chain, which has more than 520 shops across the UK, sells value gifts, arts, crafts, toys, books and stationery.
Stationary lovers took to Facebook to vent out their frustrations.
In disbelief, one user asked: “Are all of the works shops closing?”
A saddened customer added: “How sad all these lovely shops are going.”
A third slammed: “The works have been having closing down sales for 20 years.”
A fourth penned: “My local has been saying that for the past 10 years.”
But not all hope is lost as The Works confirmed it is not planning on closing its branch.
The store is relocating to a larger unit in the Lower Precinct Shopping Centre.
A spokesperson said: “We can confirm that The Works in Coventry is relocating from 21 Hertford Street to a brand new, larger store in the Lower Precinct Shopping Centre at the end of March.
“Lower Precinct is a hive of retail activity in the heart of Coventry which is why we jumped at the chance to relocate to a larger site just a five-minute walk from our current location.
“All colleagues have been redeployed to our new store where we’ll provide customers with the same excellent value, as well as a much bigger range of products for reading, learning, creating and playing.
“We can’t wait to welcome both new and existing customers from Coventry and the surrounding areas through the doors of our newest store!”
It comes as The Works announces it is closing its site in Penrith after pulling down the shutters on several other shops and opening others elsewhere.
The shop in the Hitchin town centre also shut its doors for the final time on August 25.
The brand recently also shut its branch in Coulby Newham on July 6.
Plus, it’s closed stores on the high streets in Bridgend and Croydon.
What’s happening on the high street?
The high street has been hit hard in recent years due to the growth of online shopping, especially during the pandemic.
At the same time the cost of living has been rising, leading to shoppers cutting back on non-essential spending.
Brick and mortar stores have also seen a lack of footfall due to consumer habits switching to online shopping.
Although, The Works states that it has actually seen a return of shoppers in-store over the last year after the end of lockdown.
Big name chains like M&Co and Paperchase closed all stores this year after falling into administration.
Most recently, bargain discounter Wilko collapsed, putting 400 branches at risk, as well as thousands of jobs.
Following the pandemic, businesses were struggling to bounce back anyway, only to then be hit by soaring energy bills.
Meanwhile, a major department store is set to close up a shop in days, in another blow to the high street.
And, a coffee chain with more than 2,000 sites is shutting another of its branches.