CLOSING TIMES
Major high street chain with more than 1,400 branches to shut another store forever leaving shoppers gutted
A MAJOR high street chain with over a thousand branches will close another shop forever leaving shoppers gutted.
The WHSmith store on Ramsgate High Street in Kent will close for good at the beginning of next year.
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It means customers will soon lose out on some key facilities including a DHL Servicepoint which is provided in-store.
Shoppers have taken to social media to share their thoughts on the closure.
One person said on Facebook: "I can't believe it. There will be no shops left soon. This is just awful. Something needs to be done. It can't continue like this!"
Another said: "Ramsgate High Street will be a ghost town soon."
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"Such a shame. The staff in there are so friendly and genuine," said a third shopper.
A WHSmith spokesman said: "We can confirm that the WHSmith store in Ramsgate will be closing at the start of next year.
"Unfortunately, we are unable to continue to trade viably from this location and the decision has been taken to close the store in January 2024.
"We are extremely grateful for the commitment of our in-store colleagues who we will support with this transition and redeploy to nearby stores, where possible."
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The lease for the Ramsgate store is now up for let on Rightmove for £1,791 a month and a new tenant will be able to move in from February 7.
WHSmith has 600 stores on the high street, along with more than 800 travel stores located in airports, train stations, hospitals, workplaces and motorway services.
The closures come after WHSmith's boss said that the retail giant will not be opening up any more UK high street stores.
Instead, it will be placing its focus on UK airports and train stations, as well as looking to expand in the US and Europe.
In 2018 and 2019 consumer group Which? ranked WHSmith among the UK's worst high street retailers after some customers complained about poor customer service, bad value for money and the dire state of its stores.
Over the past 20 years, the retailer has significantly expanded its presence in airports and train stations.
It has also increased its offering at motorway service stations and US-based casino resorts.
Retailers have been feeling the pinch since the pandemic while shoppers are cutting back on spending due to soaring inflation.
High energy costs and a shift to shopping online after the pandemic are also taking a toll and many high street shops have struggled to keep going.
Brands like Frasers have been moving and relocating profitable stores and brands within department stores but other brands have been shutting stores for good.
The inability to renegotiate rents and agreements with landlords is also putting pressure on some retailers to pull out of some locations.
A number of well-known retailers including Argos, Lloyds Pharmacy and Poundstretcher have closed stores in recent months.
But others have been hit so hard they've been left on the brink of administration.
Wilko appointed administrators earlier this month, and all control of the business has now been passed over to PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) as it looks for a buyer.
It continues to trade as normal for the time being but it could take weeks to find out if the brand could be rescued by a rival.
However, some big brands are expanding the number of stores they operate.
Poundland is opening 15 new stores over the next few weeks.
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These openings form part of the retailer's plans to bring the shutters up on 50 new stores by the end of the year.
B&M is also opening more than a dozen new branches across the UK by the end of 2023.
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