‘End of an era’ cry shoppers as major charity retailer with 500 branches shuts ‘little gem’ store after 47 years
SHOPPERS have branded the closure of a charity store after 47 years the “end of an era”.
Oxfam pulled down the shutters on its branch in Telford, Wellington, Shropshire yesterday (May 17).
A spokesperson for the charity said it “constantly” evaluated the performance of its around 500 shops, but some were not “viable”, including the Telford location.
They added: “We are very sorry to have to make this choice and thank the staff and the excellent team of volunteers for their hard work and support.
“Customers can continue supporting or donating to Oxfam at our shop in Newport, or on Oxfam’s online shop.”
News of the closure has not been met well by locals and customers on Facebook, with one branding it the “end of an era” for the “little gem” of a shop.
Another said: “What a shame it’s closing. Well done to all who worked hard to keep it going so long.”
A third commented: “You will be greatly missed. What a wonderful part of the town this shop have (sic) been for so long. So sad to see it close.”
It comes as Oxfam pulls down the shutters on a raft of branches across the UK.
Last month, it confirmed it was closing its store in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, due to “due to unsustainable building maintenance and ongoing high running costs”.
It also shuttered a bookshop in Bishop’s Stortford, East Hertfordshire, in February this year.
In June last year, it confirmed it would pull down the shutters on eight stores across the UK. The full list was:
- Alfreton
- Temple Fortune
- Worthing
- Kentish Town
- Arnold
- Grimsby
- Leigh
- Lee-on-the-Solent
It is not clear whether all the eight branches have closed their doors for good, but we have asked Oxfam to confirm which ones have shut and we will update this story when we have heard back.
Oxfam isn’t the only charity retailer to close branches in recent months either.
The Salvation Army recently closed a store in Bourne and another in Cornerswell Road, Penarth, while Cancer Research UK shuttered a branch earlier this year.
What else is happening on the high street?
The high street has been hit hard in recent years as shoppers turn to online retail, a trend made worse by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Businesses have also had to cough up more on energy, wages and business rates.
It has seen some shops forced to close permanently in a blow for customers.
Some major retailers have fallen into administration, including Ted Baker, Wilko and The Body Shop, seeing hundreds of shops close and thousands of workers lose their jobs.
Why are retailers closing stores?
RETAILERS have been feeling the squeeze since the pandemic, while shoppers are cutting back on spending due to the soaring cost of living crisis.
High energy costs and a move to shopping online after the pandemic are also taking a toll, and many high street shops have struggled to keep going.
The high street has seen a whole raft of closures over the past year, and more are coming.
The number of jobs lost in British retail dropped last year, but 120,000 people still lost their employment, figures have suggested.
Figures from the Centre for Retail Research revealed that 10,494 shops closed for the last time during 2023, and 119,405 jobs were lost in the sector.
It was fewer shops than had been lost for several years, and a reduction from 151,641 jobs lost in 2022.
The centre’s director, Professor Joshua Bamfield, said the improvement is “less bad” than good.
Although there were some big-name losses from the high street, including Wilko, many large companies had already gone bust before 2022, the centre said, such as Topshop owner Arcadia, Jessops and Debenhams.
“The cost-of-living crisis, inflation and increases in interest rates have led many consumers to tighten their belts, reducing retail spend,” Prof Bamfield said.
“Retailers themselves have suffered increasing energy and occupancy costs, staff shortages and falling demand that have made rebuilding profits after extensive store closures during the pandemic exceptionally difficult.”
Alongside Wilko, which employed around 12,000 people when it collapsed, 2023’s biggest failures included Paperchase, Cath Kidston, Planet Organic and Tile Giant.
The Centre for Retail Research said most stores were closed because companies were trying to reorganise and cut costs rather than the business failing.
However, experts have warned there will likely be more failures this year as consumers keep their belts tight and borrowing costs soar for businesses.
The Body Shop and Ted Baker are the biggest names to have already collapsed into administration this year.
It’s not all bad news for the sector though, as some chains have been expanding on the high street and in retail parks.
Poundland, Lidl and Aldi have all been opening branches across the UK, as shoppers turn to more budget-friendly options.
Aldi said it wants to open hundreds more stores in the coming years, setting its sights on operating 1,500.
Health and beauty retailer Superdrug recently said it wants to open 25 new branches across the UK.
Asda has been opening hundreds of convenience stores in recent months as it looks to rival major players Tesco and Sainsbury’s.
B&M plans to open “not less than” 45 brand new stores across the UK in each of the next two consecutive years.
And the parent company of Bonmarché, Edinburgh Woollen Mill (EWM) and Peacocks, Purepay Retail Limited, has said it wants to open 100 new high street stores over the next 18 months.
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