High streets across the UK are set to look very different as two major brands prepare to close their doors and another enters administration. Changing shopping habits and business rates are among the factors blamed for the closures.
Cardzone Sheffield closure
The greeting card store Cardzone has made the decision to close one of its stores, holding a 50% closing down sale to clear stock in its final days. The Sheffield branch will close on Saturday, September 5. Posters had initially advertised discounts of 30%, which have now been increased to half price.
Reports say that nine Cardzone stores have already closed, with the Sheffield store set to be the latest to close. The company closed a number of stores in 2024 and its Newport and Didcot branch in July.
Cardzone said in its latest financial statements: "The business leases the majority of its locations, which comes with inherent risks. Most stores operate under leases lasting less than five years, and there are no guarantees that lease renegotiations will be successful."
Russell & Bromley administration
The shoe chain Russell & Bromley has closed all its stores except three flagship branches after plunging into administration. Unsecured creditors are reportedly owed £37.5million, according to a progress report prepared by administrators, Interpath.
Russell & Bromley was acquired by Next in January as the businesses appointed administrators on January 21. The report, which details the period until July 20, says: "Based on current estimates, we anticipate that unsecured creditors may receive a dividend."
The dividend amount has yet to be confirmed. It is dependent on the "realisation of assets and payment of associated assets". Ordinary preferential creditor claims are around £134,000. The claim from secondary preferential creditor HMRC adds up to £2.8million. Both creditors are expected to be "paid in full" when it is "reasonably practicable".
Three stores (two in London and one in Stone) have been kept open by Next, with the remaining 43 liquidated, leading to 400 members of staff being made redundant.
Denby closes all branches
The iconic pottery brand Denby is closing all its branches this week after over 200 years. Denby Pottery Village in Derbyshire is holding a closing down sale event over the August bank holiday weekend. The flagship store will close its doors for the last time at the end of trading on Sunday, August 30, 2026.
Prices start from as little as £2 per item, with bundles of four items available for between £6 and £12. The remaining stores in Ashford, Portsmouth, Braintree, York, Dalton Park, Castleford and Cheshire Oaks will also be closing their doors for good this week.
Tony Wright, joint administrator of the Denby group of companies and partner at FRP, said: "It's undoubtedly a sad moment to see the Pottery Village close after so many years as the home of this much-loved British brand. We wanted to give shoppers and Denby enthusiasts the chance to visit one final time and take home a piece of its heritage.
"While the stores are closing, the Denby brand itself will continue under new ownership, ensuring its legacy lives on. We hope as many people as possible will come along and help give the Pottery Village the send-off it deserves."
