‘So much closing’ moan shoppers as bargain shop with 350 branches to shut location

SHOPPERS have moaned there is 'so much closing' as a bargain shop with 350 locations is set to shut a popular store.

Shoppers have been left fearing the worst after the Antrim branch of Poundstretcher in Antrim Castle Mall advertised a closing down sale on Monday.

Locals expressed their disappointment on social media. One said on Facebook: "So much closing in Antrim - Ulster Bank and Post Office."

Another posted: "That shop was closing down for how many times now."

Local paper the Antrim Guardian reported that the the shopping centre where the Poundstretcher store operates from has been earmarked for demolition. There are report that social housing is set to be built on the site.

Last year the discount chain revealed a raft of closures across the UK.

• Kilmarnock, Scotland
• Romford, England
• Ammanford, Wales
• Leyland, England
• Grantham, England
• St Austell, England
• Penzance, England
• Hinckley, England
• Grimsby, England
• Hatch Warren, England
• Ebbw Vale, Wales
• Cotteridge, England
• Harrow, England

However the budget chain is also behind ambitious plans to expand across the UK.

It is anticipating the new shops will generate 2,000 jobs over the next five years.

The discount chain opened 30 locations in 2022 and has 350 shops nationwide.

It comes as Poundstretcher has also announced it will be giving staff a 10% pay rise this year too.

The increase applies to anyone who has worked there more than a year or around 70% of staff.

In November 2022, Poundstretcher announced they had exited a two-year CVA (Compulsory Voluntary Arrangement) after repaying creditors at a rate of 12p to the pound.

The chain brought in the legal arrangement back in July 2020 to find a way of offloading high-rent stores and has now paid off around £13 million of what it owed.