A handful of high street retailers are set to be closing stores over the month of February.
The British high street has suffered over the last few years. Reduced footfall and higher costs have forced many retailers to tighten their belts and close some of their brick-and-mortar sites. However, it is always important to note that some retailers close sites for other business reasons and not because they are struggling financially.
The Centre for Retail Research predicts 17,349 shops will close this year, marking a sharp increase from the 13,479 closures recorded in 2024. This is down to the higher National Insurance Contributions (NICs) and increases in the national minimum wage take effect in April. Here we have listed all of the retailers with sites pulling down shutters over the coming few weeks.
The supermarket chain will be closing its branch on Stamford Hill in London – which first opened 14 years ago – on February 1. The reason behind the closure is due to the landlord’s plan to redevelop the site after the lease expires. A spokesperson for Sainsbury’s said: “Earlier this year, we shared the difficult news with colleagues at our Stamford Hill supermarket that the landlord intends to redevelop the site. The store will remain open and our colleagues will continue to serve the local community as usual between now and February 1, when our lease expires.”
The frozen food retailer will be shutting its London branch in Welling this Saturday, February 1. The reason behind the closure of the site on 53 Bellegrove Road has not been disclosed by the supermarket. Since its announcement, Iceland says its colleagues have been offered jobs in other stores.
On the closure, an Iceland spokesperson said: “We can confirm our Welling Iceland store is scheduled to close on 1st February. Our store colleagues have entered into a consultation process and have been offered opportunities at surrounding stores where possible.”
WHSmith will be closing four high-street shops in February as part of its company-wide strategy to shift focus towards travel hubs. Overall, the stationary chain plans to sell 500 of its high street stores, which puts around 5,000 jobs at risk.
One WH Smith Store in Basingstoke, Hampshire, will be pulling down the shutters for good at midday on Saturday, February 1, while three more in Winton, Rhyl, and Bolton will be shutting on February 15. Here is the full list of WH Smith stores closing this month:
The popular US clothing brand has announced that its branch on Union Square, Aberdeen, will close for good in February. The company has yet to confirm an exact date for the closure, although it is set to be towards the end of the month. Hollister – a fashion brand owned by Abercrombie & Fitch – opened the Scottish store in 2010. The retailer has indicated that it is looking to maintain a presence in Aberdeen.
A statement provided to the Press and Journal, from Abercrombie & Fitch said: “We can confirm we will be closing our Union Square Hollister store at the end of February. We believe stores matter and we are exploring new store opportunities in the UK, including in Aberdeen, to provide a great shopping experience for our customers. ”
The Entertainer confirmed earlier this month that its store in the Whitgift Centre in Corydon, London will be closing its doors for good on Saturday, February 1. The closure is reportedly due to the landlord’s plans to repurpose the space for the proposed redevelopment of the Whitgift Shopping Centre as part of the Croydon regeneration project.
Paul Hardy, Head of Region at The Entertainer, said: “We are sad to be closing our Croydon store as a requirement of the landlord for the proposed redevelopment of the Whitgift Shopping Centre. We would like to thank our customers and staff for their loyalty and support.
“We’re proud of the service we’ve offered and are committed to supporting our employees through this situation. Customers can continue to shop our range of great value toys and games online as well as in selected Tesco stores.”
Farmfoods will close its store in the Calthorpe Centre in Banbury on Sunday, February 2. The retailer has not confirmed the reason behind the closure of the Oxfordshire site, although the chain is looking to open a new site in the area but has not confirmed any plans as of writing.
A spokesperson for Farmfoods confirmed the closure in a statement: “I confirm our shop at the Calthorpe Centre, Banbury will permanently close on February 2 following a 50% sale. We’re grateful to all customers who have shopped with us during our time trading from the property and hope to open a new shop elsewhere in the town in the future, but details are not confirmed at this stage.”
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