Bargain high street shoe retailer to shut multiple stores after string of closures – is your local affected?
A BARGAIN high street shoe retailer is to shut almost half a dozen stores following a string of closures.
Shoezone will pull the shutters down on four more of its stores in its latest round of closures.
The popular retailer, which has more than 300 stores, will close branches in Crewe, Hinckey, Beccles and Isle of Wight later this year, according to local reports.
Shoezone has already shut two branches this month, including stores in Waterlooville and Southend.
But shoppers in Southend won’t be without a Shoezone for long, as it is set to relocate to another unit on the High Street later this month.
It comes as the retailer looks to open new “big box and hybrid” format stores from its original, smaller formats.
These stores will offer more stock and a greater range of styles, according to the retailer.
In its annual results, Shoezone said it was hoping to expand its store refit and relocation programme this year.
The high street chain has already closed multiple branches this year, including in Northampton and Bristol.
Shoezone declined to comment when approached by The Sun.
Below is a full list of stores that are set to close later this year – but specific dates have not yet been confirmed:
- Grand Junction Retail Park, Crewe (relocation) – date yet to be announced
- Hinckley – date yet to be announced
- Beccles – date yet to be announced
- Isle of Wight – September 2023
The following stores closed earlier this year:
- London Road, Waterlooville, Portsmouth
- High Street, Southend (Relocation – new store to open in May)
- The Drapery, Northampton (Relocated to Grosvenor Centre)
- Bell Centre, Melton, Leicestershire
- Broad Street, Seaford, East Sussex
- Well Croft, Shipley
- Longton Exchange Shopping Centre, Stoke-on-Trent
- Dockhead Street, Saltcoats
- Broadmead Shopping Centre, Bristol
Shoezone closed 63 stores in the year to October 1, 2022, opened 13 and converted 11 existing stores into its new formats.
In 2020, it closed 20 sites and cut jobs after facing losses during the coronavirus pandemic.
But Shoezone isn’t the only retailer that is closing branches this year.
Retailers been knocked by rising costs as inflation sends prices soaring and less demand among cash-strapped punters.
More companies in England and Wales went bankrupt in March than at any point over the last three years, according to the Insolvency Service.
Some retailers are shutting a handful of branches – like Shoezone – while others are set to disappear completely from the high street.
Popular stationary shop Paperchase fell into administration in February after it failed to find a buyer.
Supermarket giant Tesco stepped up to buy the rights to the brand, but not its shops.
The company closed forever on April 3.
Home retailer Argos announced it will close all of its stores in the Republic of Ireland this year.
The chain employs around 580 people in 34 stores across the country.
The high street chain will withdraw from Ireland completely on June 24.
The four remaining standalone Cath Kidston stores are set to close within weeks, once stock is sold off.
It comes after Next agreed to buy Cath Kidston out of administration.
Here’s the full list of shops and chains disappearing from the high street this year.
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