Beloved British fashion retailer Cricket is set to close its store in Liverpool's Metquarter after 35 years of trading. Signs in the window state 'store closing all stock must go' and confirm the shop will cease trading around March 2026, directing customers to the website flannels.com.
Frasers Group, which took over Cricket in 2023, declined to comment when approached by the Liverpool Echo. A store employee confirmed the closure, but it remains unclear whether the brand will transition to an online-only model or relocate.
Cricket was founded by Justine Mills in 1991 as a menswear boutique in Cavern Walks on Mathew Street before pivoting to high-end women's fashion in the late 1990s. The retailer was one of the first independent stores to stock Christian Louboutin shoes and accessories, and in 2012 was chosen to showcase Louboutin's 20th anniversary limited edition collection alongside Harrods and Harvey Nichols.
The store has long attracted celebrity clientele, including Coleen Rooney, Alex Gerrard, Nicola Carragher and Sheree Murphy, who participated in its 2008 fashion show. After 28 years at its original location, Cricket moved to a larger unit in the Metquarter in 2019 and became famous for long queues during its Boxing Day sales.
In recent years, the shop hosted a celebratory event for Coleen Rooney following the launch of her digital British Vogue cover. The entrance to the shopping centre was adorned with the front cover, and Rooney attended with her parents.
