Popular discount store to close eight shops today - is yours going?
Eight branches of the Original Factory Shop will shut today after the discount chain announced efforts to restructure.
The group announced the shuttering of 11 stores across the end of June and beginning of July, including branches in Dorset, Aberdeenshire and Cumbria.
This is in addition to five further shops, which will be put up for sale.
Residents reacted to the blow to their local high street, saying they would miss the discount store.
One wrote: 'What a shame. So sorry for the staff.'
'Another blow for Middlewich… sad news. Staff always friendly and the store was good to shop in…', another commented.
A third said: 'There is going to be nothing left in Middlewich everything is closing down.'
The Original Factory Shop was purchased by Hobbycraft owner Modella in February.
Modella also recently acquired WH Smith's High Street stores, which will be rebranded to TG Jones.
The group announced its intention to place TOFS into a company voluntary arrangement or CVA – a scheme used to avoid insolvency and prevent the business from collapsing.
As part of the process 'a number of loss-making stores will have to close,' the company said.
The latest closures follow over a dozen shops already shuttered in the past year, the Sun reported. More Trending
Over 13,000 shops closed their doors permanently last year, amid squeezes on business, including the increase to employers' National Insurance contributions.
A total of 11 stores are now due to close over the coming weeks
Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire – June 26
Arbroath, Angus – June 28
Chester Le Street, County Durham – June 28
Kidwelly, Carmarthenshire – June 28
Middlewich -June 28
Normanton, West Yorkshire – June 28
Pershore, Worcestershire – June 28
Perth – June 28
Peterhead, Aberdeenshire – June 28
Shaftesbury, Dorset – June 28
Staveley, Cumbria – July 12
The following five stores are set to be sold:
Nairn
Market Drayton
Troon
Blairgowrie
Castle Douglas
Other high street names including Iceland and Poundland have announced store closures, with hundreds of locations facing an uncertain future.
Most recently, fashion giant River Island announced it had called in consultants to discuss how to keep stores open through tough trading conditions.
The brand has had a high street presence for more than 75 years, having previously named Lewis and then Chelsea Girl before being renamed to its current iteration in 1988.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
MORE: Look cute on the court this summer with H&M Move's new racket collection
MORE: M&S is the official tailor of the England Football team and we're obsessed with the latest formalwear
MORE: Full list of River Island shops set to close next year revealed
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Metro
8 hours ago
- Metro
Popular discount store to close eight shops today - is yours going?
Eight branches of the Original Factory Shop will shut today after the discount chain announced efforts to restructure. The group announced the shuttering of 11 stores across the end of June and beginning of July, including branches in Dorset, Aberdeenshire and Cumbria. This is in addition to five further shops, which will be put up for sale. Residents reacted to the blow to their local high street, saying they would miss the discount store. One wrote: 'What a shame. So sorry for the staff.' 'Another blow for Middlewich… sad news. Staff always friendly and the store was good to shop in…', another commented. A third said: 'There is going to be nothing left in Middlewich everything is closing down.' The Original Factory Shop was purchased by Hobbycraft owner Modella in February. Modella also recently acquired WH Smith's High Street stores, which will be rebranded to TG Jones. The group announced its intention to place TOFS into a company voluntary arrangement or CVA – a scheme used to avoid insolvency and prevent the business from collapsing. As part of the process 'a number of loss-making stores will have to close,' the company said. The latest closures follow over a dozen shops already shuttered in the past year, the Sun reported. More Trending Over 13,000 shops closed their doors permanently last year, amid squeezes on business, including the increase to employers' National Insurance contributions. A total of 11 stores are now due to close over the coming weeks Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire – June 26 Arbroath, Angus – June 28 Chester Le Street, County Durham – June 28 Kidwelly, Carmarthenshire – June 28 Middlewich -June 28 Normanton, West Yorkshire – June 28 Pershore, Worcestershire – June 28 Perth – June 28 Peterhead, Aberdeenshire – June 28 Shaftesbury, Dorset – June 28 Staveley, Cumbria – July 12 The following five stores are set to be sold: Nairn Market Drayton Troon Blairgowrie Castle Douglas Other high street names including Iceland and Poundland have announced store closures, with hundreds of locations facing an uncertain future. Most recently, fashion giant River Island announced it had called in consultants to discuss how to keep stores open through tough trading conditions. The brand has had a high street presence for more than 75 years, having previously named Lewis and then Chelsea Girl before being renamed to its current iteration in 1988. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Look cute on the court this summer with H&M Move's new racket collection MORE: M&S is the official tailor of the England Football team and we're obsessed with the latest formalwear MORE: Full list of River Island shops set to close next year revealed
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Scotsman
10 hours ago
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River Island: cuts at UK fashion giant put 33 stores at risk
Retail shake-ups continue as anotherfavourite faces tough choices and job cuts 👚 Sign up to the weekly Cost Of Living newsletter. Saving tips, deals and money hacks. Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... River Island plans to shut 33 stores, with 71 more under review amid major restructuring Over 1,000 jobs are at risk, including roles already cut at its London head office The fashion chain blames rising costs and a shift to online shopping for the move Losses hit £33.2m in 2023, down from a £2m profit the previous year Creditors will vote on the restructuring plan in August; exact store closures not yet confirmed More than 1,000 jobs are at risk as a UK fashion giant plans to shut 33 of its 230 stores in a sweeping shake-up of its business — with a further 71 shops under review and talks ongoing with landlords. River Island, which employs around 5,500 people across the UK and Ireland, is the latest big-name brand to scale back its physical footprint in response to rising costs and a shift in shopper behaviour. Locally it has stores in Portsmouth and at Whiteley. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Chief executive Ben Lewis admitted its store estate was 'no longer aligned to our customers' needs' as more people opt to shop online. The move comes as part of a court-supervised restructuring plan, being managed by PwC, which will be put to a creditor vote in August. River Island hopes to minimise redundancies, but roles at head office have already been cut, with a redundancy programme launched in January affecting departments including buying and HR. (Photo: David Potter/Construction Photography/Avalon/Getty Images) | Getty Images In 2023, the retailer swung to a £33.2m pre-tax loss after sales fell nearly 20% to £578.1m — a stark contrast to the £2m profit it recorded the year before. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad River Island's struggles mirror those of other embattled retailers, including Poundland, which is also mulling mass store closures and a retreat from online shopping. Analysts expect more businesses to pursue similar restructuring routes, a legal tool made available during the pandemic, as they grapple with low footfall, higher wages, and mounting business rates. Which River Island branches are closing? Exactly which River Island branches are closing has yet to be confirmed. Further details are expected after the creditor vote later this summer. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Branches in smaller towns or cities with lower footfall are the most vulnerable — particularly where online shopping has significantly eroded in-person sales. These stores may no longer justify their running costs. Likewise, retail locations in premium or central city sites where rent, business rates, and staffing costs are highest could be on the chopping block — especially if they aren't pulling in enough sales to offset those expenses. In urban centres where River Island has multiple stores within a short distance (for example, one on a high street and another in a nearby shopping centre), it's likely the company will consolidate to a single location. Shops with upcoming lease renewals may also be prime candidates for closure, particularly if landlords are unwilling to negotiate rent reductions or flexible terms. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Stores in dated or declining shopping centres — especially those without strong anchor tenants or good transport links — could also be at risk, as these venues often suffer from reduced customer traffic and a lack of appeal to younger shoppers. Are you struggling to make ends meet as costs continue to rise? You can now send your stories to us online via YourWorld at It's free to use and, once checked, your story will appear on our website and, space allowing, in our newspapers.
Scottish Sun
11 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
The Original Factory Shop is shutting EIGHT stores today after launching 80% off closing sales – is your local going?
We reveal which other stores are set to close in coming weeks SHUTTERS DOWN The Original Factory Shop is shutting EIGHT stores today after launching 80% off closing sales – is your local going? THE Original Factory Shop is pulling down the shutters on eight of its high street branches today, with up to 80% off in massive closing down sales. The budget retailer, which sells everything from fashion and fragrance to homeware and gifts, is shutting up shop at locations across the UK as part of a major restructuring effort. 1 The Original Factory Shop is closing eight stores today, Saturday 28 June Shops in Pershore, Shaftesbury, Kidwelly, Arbroath, Normanton, Chester Le Street, Peterhead and Perth will all close for good by the end of today, Saturday, June 28. Here are all the ones closing down today: Perth Chester Le Street, County Durham Arbroath, Angus Kidwelly, Carmarthenshire Pershore, Worcestershire Normanton, West Yorkshire Peterhead, Aberdeenshire Shaftesbury, Dorset It comes just days after the Milford Haven branch in Pembrokeshire shut on Thursday, with three more stores already lined up to go next month, including the Staveley in Cumbria, Cupar in Fife, and Middlewich in Cheshire. Massive clearance sales have been launched at affected branches with prices slashed by as much as 80% on stock like beauty, pet products, jewellery and shoes. Shoppers at the Middlewich site have spotted some of the steepest discounts, while customers in Normanton and Pershore have also snapped up huge savings ahead of closing time. One local, reacting to news that the Arbroath store is among the latest to go, said: 'Another one bites the dust on the high street. "Going to be a ghost town soon enough.' Another said the Pershore closure marked 'the end of an era.' The wave of closures follows a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) launched earlier this year after private equity firm Modella Capital bought the chain in February. Modella, which also owns Hobbycraft and WHSmith's high street shops, is trying to renegotiate rents on 88 stores to keep the business afloat. River Island confirms which 33 stores are shutting as a further 70 at risk in huge shake-up – is your local going? But The Original Factory Shop has warned that a 'number of loss-making stores' would have to shut to secure its future. A spokesperson said: 'Closing stores is always a tough decision… but this is dependent on successful negotiations with landlords as we strive to build a sustainable and successful business.' The Original Factory Shop has already closed more than a dozen branches since the start of the year, including sites in Harwich, Bodmin, Chepstow and Taunton. The three stores that are set to close in coming weeks are: Staveley, Cumbria – July 12 Cupar, Fife – July 27 Middlewich, Cheshire – TBC HIGH STREET STRUGGLES The Original Factory Shop is not the only retailer suffering across the high street. The high street has faced a tough run in recent years, with online shopping booming while in-store sales slump and operating costs soar. In 2024 alone, more than 13,000 high street stores were shuttered for good, according to the Centre for Retail Research. It is also predicting the number of store closures to rise this year, blaming the increase on a hike to employer National Insurance contributions and the national minimum wage. The Centre has described the sector as going through a "permacrisis" since the 2008 financial crash This year, Beales, one of Britain's oldest department stores, launched a closing down sale before shutting its last remaining shop after more than 140 years. The company shut its branch in Poole's Dolphin Centre last month. Beales chief executive Tony Brown blamed the "devastating impact" of the rise in national insurance contributions and the higher minimum wage for the store closure. Meanwhile, high street fashion chain New Look has closed stores as it scales back its UK footprint. It is understood to be shutting nearly a quarter of its 364 shops.s. Reports suggest that the company has been forced to accelerate the pace of store closures due to tax changes in the Autumn Budget. Meanwhile, Huttons in London shut its store in the Putney Exchange due to excessive energy costs. The gift shop became a local icon after it opened in the 1990s.
