High Street Horror: Major UK Brands Slash Stores in 2024
Brace yourselves – 2024 is looking bleak for UK high streets. After a rollercoaster 2023, with Wilko going bust and Boots shuttering 300 stores, more major names are joining the closure club.
Boots Cuts Deep with 300 More Closures
Boots is leading the charge, revealing plans to shut down an extra 300 stores next year. Their goal? Slash outlets from 2,200 to 1,900 and pump investment into fewer locations for “excellent and reliable service.” Trouble is brewing in towns across the UK, including Cliftonville in Kent, Wigan, Cornwall’s St Austell and St Blazey, Newport, Plymouth, and Barrow.
Argos, Costa, JD Wetherspoon, and Clinton Cards Also Hit
- Argos is closing 100 stores, shifting focus to supermarkets. High street sites like Overgate in Dundee and Kingstown in Carlisle are on the chopping block.
- Costa Coffee will shut two more cafés in Chiswick, London, and Bruntsfield Place, Edinburgh.
- JD Wetherspoon has offloaded 41 pubs, including The Gate House in Doncaster and The Sir John Stirling Maxwell in Glasgow, with more still up for sale.
- Clinton Cards aims to dodge insolvency by closing 38 of its 179 stores, including its Haverhill branch in Suffolk in January 2024.
The High Street’s Rocky Road Ahead
These closures underline the tough battle high-street brands face amid shifting consumer habits and shaky economic conditions. As shoppers and businesses adapt, the UK high street’s future remains uncertain – and it’s looking smaller and more selective.
