Superdrug has announced it will close its branch on Dudley High Street in the West Midlands on January 31, ending more than four decades of trading in the town centre. The store, located at 38A High Street, will be converted into a Savers bargain outlet, which is set to reopen on February 12.
The change was announced in a staff message on TikTok, with the account renamed Dudley Savers. The video said: "We are excited to tell you about a new adventure upon us all in Dudley! We will be closing as Superdrug on January 31 and re-opening as Savers on February 12. We can't wait to welcome you all to our new store, but with the same friendly faces you all know and love."
Shoppers have reacted with dismay to the news, with many describing it as another blow to a struggling town centre. In a Facebook group, one local wrote: "Another nail in the coffin and further demise of Dudley." Another said: "Nooooo! There really won't be any reason for me to go to Dudley if this carries on!" One commenter noted the store was "one of the last original shops" in the area, while others warned the town was becoming a "ghost town".
The closure reflects wider pressures on UK high streets, including rising rents, soaring energy bills, online shopping and changing consumer habits. Many retail chains have been forced to rationalise their store portfolios as footfall declines. Banks, clothing chains, cafes and chemists have all disappeared from town centres in recent years, leaving empty units increasingly common.
This is not the first time a Superdrug store has been replaced by Savers. Both brands are owned by the same parent company, A.S. Watson Group. In 2020, a Superdrug store in Bermondsey's Blue shopping centre was converted into a Savers branch. Superdrug also closed its stores in Grantham, Lincolnshire, and Redruth, Cornwall, last summer.
