AN iconic British fashion retailer with over 200 stores is shutting its town branch forever.
A high street favourite is set to close one of its branches in Armstrong’s Mill, Derbyshire on March 1, as it launches a huge closing down sale.
Bonmarché will be offering a further 10 per cent off all its sale items.
In a notice posted on the shop door, the retailer said: “Bonmarché closing down sale. This store only, closing on March 1.”
Fans of the shop expressed their disappointment with one calling it a “sad day for all concerned.”
One customer wrote: “Online shopping has destroyed this town and many others.”
One unhappy shopper described the closure as a “tragedy”, while another added: “sad state of affairs really.”
The brand reassured customers that outlets will remain on Long Eaton’s High Street and Lower Parliament Street in Nottingham, and in St Peters Street in Derby.
The fashion retailer, which is owned by Edinburgh Woolen Mill, was founded in 1982 and counts more than 300 stores across the country.
But this weekend, it’s inviting customers to bid farewell to the much-loved shop in Armstrong’s Mill with a mega closing down sale.
Sharing its space with a local cafe and restaurant, the shop can be found on the second floor of the mill where it has been in operation since 1996.
The closure comes just months after the brand announced the closure of its branch in Arnold, Nottingham, reportedly due to increasing rent costs.
At the time, MP Michael Payne wrote a letter to the company’s retailer director, outlining the importance of the store.
He wrote: “Bonmarché has been part of our community for many years, offering an essential service to numerous residents, including those with limited mobility who find it difficult to shop elsewhere or prefer not to shop online.
“The store has also been a vital source of employment for many dedicated staff members who have consistently contributed to the company and local area.”
The MP also posted a pic of the letter to Facebook and many equally disappointed shoppers shared their thoughts.
One wrote: “Being the father of one of the members of staff affected, I have seen the dedication she has put into the store to make it now profitable with the support of fantastic staff.
“Big loss to Arnold town centre and all age groups who don’t like going into town or shop online.
RETAIL SECTOR STRUGGLES
The retail sector has been hit hard in recent years as the trend towards online shopping intensifies.
The most recent data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows online retail sales increased from 5% of all retail sales in 2008 to 27% in 2022.
Shoppers have also been feeling the pinch in recent years following sky-high inflation which has dented their wallets and purses.
It has led to a number of major retailers having to close stores to shore up their finances.
Boots announced in 2023 it would shut 300 of its branches in a bid to slim down its high street presence while WHSmith is in talks to sell off 500 of its stores.
Jewellery chains have been forced into closing branches as well.
Claire’s has closed a number of stores in recent years, including in Gillingham, Nuneaton and Newton Abbott.
Bonmarché has been approached for comment.
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.
The British Retail Consortium has predicted that the Treasury’s hike to employer NICs from April 2025, will cost the retail sector £2.3billion.
At the same time, the minimum wage will rise to £12.21 an hour from April, and the minimum wage for people aged 18-20 will rise to £10 an hour, an increase of £1.40.
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.
In some cases, stores have been shut when a retailer goes bust, as in the case of Carpetright, Debenhams, Dorothy Perkins, Paperchase, Ted Baker, The Body Shop, Topshop and Wilko 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.
The Centre for Retail Research (CRR) has warned that around 17,350 retail sites are expected to shut down this year.