More than 13,000 high street stores closed last year (Image: Getty)
New figures released today (January 2) by the Centre for Retail Research show that more than 13,000 high-street stores closed last year, with experts warning that “worse is set to come” in 2025.
The study showed that retail store closures jumped by more than a quarter on the previous year.
The data found that 13,479 stores, the equivalent of 37 a day, closed their doors last year, with the vast majority of closures being small independent retailers.
According to the figures, 11,300 independent stores closed last year, a 45.5 percent increase over the previous year.
Larger chains closed a massive 2,138 stores, and more than half of the stores that closed were due to retailers undergoing some form of insolvency proceedings. Furthermore, 5,942 shops were closed due to cost-cutting initiatives, which included retailers such as and Shoe Zone.
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The Co-op is set to close some of its food stores this year (Image: Getty)
Professor Joshua Bamfield, director of the Centre for Retail Research, said: “Whilst the results for 2024 show that although the outcomes for store closures overall were not as poor as in either 2020 or 2022, they are still disconcerting, with worse set to come in 2025.”
It’s predicted that 17,350 stores could close in 2025, with around 14,660 coming from independent retailers. With this in mind, has rounded up which clothing retailers and high street chains are set to close their doors, so far, in 2025.
Co-op
The is set to . According to , the supermarket will close its food stores in the Midlands and East Anglia by May 2025, citing “financial sustainability issues.”
Of these, three will be converted into B&M stores, while the other 16 will be acquired by Samy Limited, an independent convenience chain that operates brands like Spar, Londis, and Premier.
The following 19 Central Co-op Food stores are scheduled to close within the next six months:
- Barnby Dun, High Street – South Yorkshire
- Broughton, High St – Northamptonshire
- Croft, Pochin Street – Leicestershire
- Desborough, Hill Top, Braybrooke Road – Northamptonshire
- Dudley, Overfield Road – West Midlands
- Eastwood, Nottingham Road – Nottinghamshire
- Enderby, Mill Lane – Leicestershire
- Kingstanding, Hawthorn Road – West Midlands
- Leicester, Evington Rd – Leicestershire
- Leicester, Narborough Rd – Leicestershire
- Narborough, Station Road – Leicestershire
- Peterborough, Mayors Walk – Cambridgeshire
- Sprowston, Chartwell Road – Norfolk
- Stafford, Baswich Lane – Staffordshire
- Wigston, Blaby Road – Leicestershire
- Yardley, Stoney Lane – West Midlands
- Cromer, Middlebrook Way – Norfolk
- Erdington, High Street – West Midlands
- Shepshed, Hallcroft – Leicestershire
The wave of closures will also include six funeral homes. Despite these closures, Co-op announced today it would be opening 75 new stores in 2025, with up to 80 further stores undergoing major refurbishments.
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Shoe Zone is set to close 20 or more of its sites (Image: Getty)
Shoe Zone
Shoe Zone is set to close 20 or more of its sites, with bosses blaming Labour’s plans in the October Budget for the closures.
The retailer stated that the Chancellor’s decision to increase employers’ national insurance contributions and the minimum wage has resulted in “significant additional costs”. The company has not yet confirmed which stores are at risk of closure.
WHSmith
Elsewhere, WHSmith is set to close branches in the coming year. WHSmith is set to shut its Winton branch in Bournemouth, Dorset, on February 15.
However, earlier this year, the retailer announced plans to open approximately 110 new stores in airports, railway stations and hospitals, shifting its focus towards its travel division. WHSmith will also be opening 37 new Toys R Us concessions within its own stores.
The Entertainer
The Entertainer will close its store at the Cameron Toll shopping centre in Edinburgh on January 4. The store opened its doors in 2014.
Monki
Monki, a member of the H&M group, will close seven of its UK stores this year. Intu Eldon Square shop in Newcastle upon Tyne will shut today (January 2), followed by Manchester Arndale on January 17.
However, some of the Monki stores will be merged with one of its other brands, Weekday. An H&M spokesman previously said: “A limited number of Monki stores are intended to be transformed into multi-brand Weekday destinations, while the others are intended to be closed.
“The newly formed Weekday multi-brand destination will cater to customers’ high aesthetic standards while embracing their multitude of unique expressions.”
Millets
Putdoor specialists, Millets, is also closing some of its stores early in 2025. Lowestoft, Douglas, York, and Grimsby stores are due for a makeover and will be rebranded as GO Outdoors.
However, Millets announced that the Burgess Hill store in West Sussex is closing for good this month.