THREE beloved stores all announced shock closures, leaving gutted locals concerned over the fate of their high street.
Customers have described the closure as “very sad” for the town as more and more units stand empty.
Three stores in Devizes, Wiltshire, announced their closure with concerned pinned on a lack of footfall.
Gift shops Emporium and Expressions were both caught in the cross fire as well as charity shop Scope.
Ian Williams from fabric shop, Shamrock Linens said it was “very sad” for everyone in the area and believed it could be down to parking prices.
“I think when shops go it takes a bit of the heart of the town out,” he added.
The Emporium offered a wide selection of products including incense sticks, holders, candles whereas Expressions provided cards, cuddly toys and other gifts.
Scope is a disability equality charity which campaigns to transform attitudes to disability, donating profits to the cause.
Unfortunately now, those looking to get their fashion fix or grab a birthday gift will have to look elsewhere.
Residents warned that the closure of a popular route into town may have led to the shops being scrapped.
One of the key roads, Northgate Street, was used by shoppers to access the high street.
After a fire at a Kebab shop, the lane was closed off to the public which may have led to a decrease in trade.
The bus stop was relocated away from the road after the blaze but this made it trickier to travel to town, especially for residents with mobility issues.
Despite being planned to reopen in March, Northgate Street remains without transport links.
Richard Staker, from gaming shop Level Up explained that the road was closed fully for six weeks after the fire, which that had a massive impact.
He said: “Now it is starting to pick up but it’s still having a big impact with one-way traffic – there is a big worry for the future that it could be one of the next towns that becomes deserted.”
However Sam Holliday from the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) said it’s not nevessarily that road closure that has led to the demise of the high street.
He said: “I’m afraid it isn’t just Devizes, it’s across the country. Our high streets are really struggling.”
Gift and charity shops certainly aren’t the only retailers going through closures.
New Look is also going through major restructuring leaving hundreds of stores at risk of shutting.
Shoe Zone has already closed a string of stores across the UK, including recent shutdowns in Boscombe, Bournemouth and Burgess Hill, West Sussex.
Morrisons will be scrapping 52 cafes and 17 stores in a cost-cutting shake-up.
The retailer is accelerating plans to close nearly 100 stores, following challenges linked to the tax changes announced in the Autumn Budget.
Approximately a quarter of the retailer’s 364 stores are at risk when their leases expire.
Plenty of other retailers are closing stores across the high street as households lean more towards online shopping and amid high business rates.
Soaring inflation in recent years has also dented shoppers’ pockets.
The Centre for Retail Research’s latest analysis suggests 13,479 stores, the equivalent of 37 each day, shut for good in 2024.
Of those, 11,341 were independent shops while 2,138 were shut by larger retailers.