Several major retailers, including B&M, B&Q, and The Works, are set to close stores across the UK this July, continuing a trend of high street closures. However, many of these closures are attributed to lease issues rather than economic difficulties, with some stores set to be replaced.
B&M will close its store on Lord Street in Gainsborough on July 17, but a new store will open in Marshalls Yard on July 20. The DIY chain B&Q will shut its Sudbury store on July 20 due to the expiration of its lease, with the landlord planning to redevelop the site.
Poundland will close stores in Hitchin on July 16 and in Freeman Street, Grimsby, on July 20. A spokesman said: 'We’ve been unable to secure a long-term lease that would enable us to keep trading, which is disappointing.'
Robert Dyas will leave its Castlepoint store in Bournemouth on July 20 after the landlord served notice to split the unit. The company said it is looking for a new site in the area. The Works will close its store in Berwick-upon-Tweed on July 26 due to an inability to agree on new lease terms.
Other closures include Card Factory in North Lanarkshire on July 20, with customers directed to a nearby store, and a Co-op in Meir, Stoke-on-Trent, which closed on July 13 with staff transferred to a Nisa store. The clothing shop Peacocks will shut its store in Hollywell High Street, Flintshire, on July 25.
