BAG IT UP
B&M launches huge closing down sale at ‘amazing’ branch as it prepares to shut its doors
We also reveal other ways you can save at B&M - and how to spot bargains before they are marked down
B&M has launched a huge closing down sale and shoppers are rushing to get their hands on a bargain.
The discount chain is shuttering its shop in The Spindles Town Square Shopping Centre, Oldham and is looking to clear old stock - but it's not all bad news.
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The store will close on Saturday, June 22, but it is relocating to a bigger and better unit in the same shopping centre.
B&M's new store will open just days later on Wednesday, June 26.
Shoppers have discussing visiting to the store to get their hands on the bargains.
The Spindles Town Square Shopping Centre posted on Facebook: "Don’t miss the closing down sale in the current B&M store in Spindles.
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"25% off all products in this store only!"
Bargain hunters flocked to the comments, with one writing: 'Guess where I’m going for puppy pads on Monday."
Another wrote: "We all love a bit of B&M."
And a third cried: "I spent all my lunch break in there."
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In its Google reviews, the shop has been described as "amazing" and "great", with "reasonable prices' and 'kind, helpful staff".
Shoppers will be able to pick up bargains from everything including perfume, food and homeware must-haves.
Why are shops closing stores?
A notice on the B&M website reads: "Your B&M Oldham - Spindles Shopping Centre store is moving from its current location at Units 51-52, Spindles Shopping Centre, to its new home at Units 9-10, Spindles Shopping Centre (former Debenhams).
"We apologise for any inconvenience caused while we bring you a bigger and better B&M store."
Customers will be able to bag bargains right up until its closure.
In April this year, the chain also shuttered its store in Abergavenny, Wales.
The store is relocated to a bigger and better unit in the shopping park and created 17 jobs for local people.
Why are retailers closing shops?
EMPTY shops have become an eyesore on many British high streets and are often symbolic of a town centre’s decline.
The Sun's business editor Ashley Armstrong explains why so many retailers are shutting their doors.
In many cases, retailers are shutting stores because they are no longer the money-makers they once were because of the rise of online shopping.
Falling store sales and rising staff costs have made it even more expensive for shops to stay open. In some cases, retailers are shutting a store and reopening a new shop at the other end of a high street to reflect how a town has changed.
The problem is that when a big shop closes, footfall falls across the local high street, which puts more shops at risk of closing.
Retail parks are increasingly popular with shoppers, who want to be able to get easy, free parking at a time when local councils have hiked parking charges in towns.
Many retailers including Next and Marks & Spencer have been shutting stores on the high street and taking bigger stores in better-performing retail parks instead.
Boss Stuart Machin recently said that when it relocated a tired store in Chesterfield to a new big store in a retail park half a mile away, its sales in the area rose by 103 per cent.
In some cases, stores have been shut when a retailer goes bust, as in the case of Wilko, Debenhams Topshop, Dorothy Perkins and Paperchase to name a few.
What’s increasingly common is when a chain goes bust a rival retailer or private equity firm snaps up the intellectual property rights so they can own the brand and sell it online.
They may go on to open a handful of stores if there is customer demand, but there are rarely ever as many stores or in the same places.
B&M confirmed the store is moved into a former Wilko site which is just a stone's throw away from its former premises.
In January the discount retailer announced it would be opening 17 new sites in 2024.
The bargain retailer currently has around 700 stores but has a long-term target of 950 sites.
Back in May 2023, B&M announced plans to open 30 new stores in the UK over the past year, including some relocations of older sites.
However, the retailer is taking things a step further this year with several former Wilko stores in its hands to play with.
B&M bought up 51 Wiko sites in a £13million deal in September 2023 when the beloved retailer fell into administration.
To open some new sites B&M has had to restructure its portfolio and this has meant some stores have closed.
The retailer has closed ten of its stores since February 2023.
How can I save money at B&M?
While a closing-down sale offers big discounts on already bargain prices, there are still ways to save at B&M stores
The B&M barcode scanner app allows you to discover discounted items before the staff has even reduced them.
The scanner is located on the B&M Stores mobile app, which can be downloaded for free on your smartphone.
Shoppers can download it on the App Store or Google Play.
Once you've got the app, click on the "scan" button at the bottom of your homepage.
This will then bring up the camera on your smartphone, which you'll need to use to scan barcodes.
When you've found a product you want to scan, simply point your smartphone camera toward its barcode.
The app will then automatically bring up the item's price - this is when you'll know if it is reduced or not.
Bargain hunters say some items come up as £1, 50p or even 10p through the app.
Shoppers should also keep an eye out for products with a white reduction sticker on.
This means they will have a certain amount slashed off the price shown on the label.
Shop for products at the end of the season.
Get friendly with staff too.
They'll be able to tell you when the sales will hit, or if there are bargains out the back - so you get the best bits.
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Meanwhile, B&M fans have been shocked to discover a little-known trick to find the cheapest bargains that are reduced to just 10p.
Plus, B&M shoppers are rushing to pick up a bargain £3 fondue barbecue set
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