Several major high-street brands have confirmed store closures across the UK for the year 2024. These closures come after a tumultuous 2023 for the UK high street, marked by Wilko’s administration and Boots announcing the closure of 300 stores over 12 months.
Boots, Argos, Costa, JD Wetherspoon, and Clinton Cards are among the well-known high-street retailers and cafes affected by these closures.
Boots, which had already closed several stores in 2023, revealed plans to close an additional 300 stores in 2024. The closures are part of their strategy to reduce the total number of stores from 2,200 to 1,900, with an emphasis on focusing investment in remaining locations to provide an excellent and reliable service.
The Boots stores set to close in 2024 include Cliftonville, Kent; Pemberton, Wigan; Hough Lane, Layland, Lancashire; Rhos-on-Sea; Colwyn Bay; Caerleon Road, Newport; Chepstow Road, Newport; Carlyon Road, St Austell, Cornwall; St Blazey, Cornwall; Front Street, Prudhoe; Lurgan; Chard Road, Plymouth; Mannamead Road, Plymouth; Claremont Street, Plymouth; Portland Walk, Barrow; and Gestridge Road, Teignbridge.
Costa Coffee, which had already closed several sites in 2023, has announced the closure of two more cafes in 2024, located in Chiswick High Road, London, and Bruntsfield Place, Edinburgh.
Argos, owned by Sainsbury’s, is closing 100 UK sites in 2024 as part of its strategy to expand its presence in supermarkets instead of the high street. The closures in 2024 include Overgate, Dundee, and Kingstown, Carlisle.
JD Wetherspoon, which previously announced the sale of several UK sites, still has several locations up for sale, while some are under offer. They have officially closed 41 sites, including notable pubs like The Gate House in Doncaster and The Sir John Stirling Maxwell in Glasgow.
Clinton Cards is also taking measures to avoid insolvency by closing approximately a fifth of its stores in 2024, affecting 38 out of 179 branches. The Haverhill branch in Suffolk is set to shut on January 24, 2024.
The closures reflect the ongoing challenges faced by high-street retailers and cafes in the ever-changing landscape of consumer behaviour and economic conditions. Shoppers and businesses alike continue to adapt to these shifts as they navigate the future of the UK high street.
