In a move that has disappointed locals, high-street retailer Shoezone has revealed plans to close its outlet in Inverness, leaving shoppers in the area facing considerable inconvenience.
The closure announcement comes as Shoezone continues to navigate challenges in the retail landscape, with the Inverness branch set to join 13 other stores shuttered by the company in 2023. Among these closures was the store on Watford High Street, which ceased trading earlier this year on January 4th.
With the Inverness store shutting its doors, customers will now have to make a three-hour drive to reach the next nearest Shoezone branch, located in Peterhead, Aberdeenshire. Signs indicating the closure have already appeared in the store windows, although an official closing date has yet to be confirmed.
Reacting to the news on social media, locals expressed their disappointment, with one Facebook user lamenting, “God another long-time shop closing. Very sad. Great prices plus they were pet-friendly,” while another simply exclaimed, “Oh no.”
In addition to the closure of the Inverness store, Shoezone has also revealed plans to shut down several other locations by the end of 2024, including branches in Ipswich, Newton Abbot, Hinckley (Leicester), Cromer (Norfolk), and Weymouth. This follows a trend of closures, with Shoezone having closed a total of 13 stores in 2023 and a staggering 63 between 2020 and 2021.
However, amidst the closures, there is a silver lining for some communities. Two of the stores listed for closure will be relocated, and others will undergo improvements, offering shoppers a wider range of footwear choices.
The closures are part of a larger trend impacting the high street, exacerbated by the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and rising energy prices. Data from the Office for National Statistics indicates a 3.2% dip in retail sales volumes in December, while figures from the Centre for Retail Research suggest over 10,000 shops and nearly 120,000 retail jobs were lost in 2023.
