‘Such a shame,’ sob fans as major bakery chain with 2,000 branches confirms store closure
SHOPPERS have been left devastated as a major high street retailer with more than 2,000 stores is set to close its “busiest” branch.
Popular bakery chain Greggs is the latest brand to pull out a store from the high street amid Britain’s retail apocalypse.
Shoppers are now devasted after Greggs revealed it will pull the shutters down on one of the branches in Edinburgh this summer.
The bakery, located at 357/359 Leith Walk, is one of the busiest lunch and breakfast spots for people passing by.
While the date of the closure has not been confirmed yet, a spokesperson for the brand said it is due to the store’s lease ending.
They also confirmed a new store will be opened just about a mile away this spring, while the staff of the current store will be relocated to other branches.
Sobbing customers are now flocking to social media platforms to share their thoughts about the closure.
One such shopper wrote on Facebook: “It is such a shame they are closing the store. Greggs will unfortunately not benefit from the tram effect at this location.”
While another said: “Everything at my local bakery arrives frozen. Nothing will be fresh anymore.”
Meanwhile, the bakery giant said it plans to open up to 160 new branches this year.
It opened a record 220 new shops over 2023, with 33 closures and 42 relocations leaving it with 145 new sites on a net basis and taking its total estate to 2,473.
The first eight new locations will be in the following areas:
- Within Tesco, Bar Hill in Cambridge
- Chester Road, Mold
- Within Tesco, Ealing in London
- Church Walk Shopping Centre, Walker
- General Rees Square, Cwmbran
- Northenden Road, Sale
- U2 Portland Walk, Barrow-in-Furness
- MFG service station, Hyde Road, Mottram
The remaining locations of the new shops are yet to be confirmed.
The bakery chain is aiming to give customers more convenient access to its stores.
It will continue to look at expanding across retail parks, travel sites and roadside locations, as well as industrial estates.
Greggs also plans to continue rolling out evening opening hours across specific stores.
These extended hours are currently available in around 1,200 shops.
Roisin Currie, chief executive of Greggs said: “We enter 2024 with plans to continue to invest in our shops and expand supply chain capacity.”
BRITAIN’S RETAIL APOCALYPSE
It comes as the cost of living crisis, high inflation and rising energy costs are forcing retailers to close down their outlets.
Figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) found the UK had lost 6,000 stores over a five-year period.
Several brands have also collapsed and disappeared from our high streets forever, such as Wilko and Paperchase.
Stores including Next, Boots, The Entertainer, Iceland, Clarks and WHSmith have also suffered.
And Argos, Next, Jack Wills and Poundland have announced they will all shut selected branches forever this year.
Energy costs have risen and more shoppers than ever are choosing to order online rather than head into stores.
This has left some retailers grappling with budgets and have no choice but to close stores to cut costs.
Several big-name chains are pulling down the shutters for the final time this month.
The trade association’s chief executive Helen Dickinson OBE blamed the closures on “crippling” business rates and the impact of coronavirus lockdowns.
Boots is set to shut another 10 shops in the coming weeks.
The move by health and beauty retailer forms part of plans to close 300 sites.
Joules, known for its wellies and raincoats, pulled down the shutters on another of its stores in Stratford.
While Matalan closed down one of its branches in Leeds on February 24.
Nespresso also shut three town centre outlets in March, leaving shoppers worried about where they can recycle their used capsules.