Apple confirms it's shutting big city centre store for good in DAYS in blow to high street shoppers
In a massive blow to the high street, the shop will serve its last customers on August 9.
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Apple announced the two-floor Bristol store will shut after 15 years because of redevelopment plans at the Cabot Circus Shopping Centre.
A store spokesperson said they have "loved" serving the local community and reassured employees that they will be offered roles elsewhere.
They told Macrumours: "At Apple, we're always focused on providing an exceptional experience for all of our customers.
"Due to the redevelopment plans at Cabot Circus Shopping Centre, which include the closure of the section where our store is located, Apple Bristol will close on August 9, 2025.
"We've loved serving the Bristol community for over 15 years, and our valued team members will continue their roles at Apple."
Residents will need to head to Apple Cribbs Causeway on the outskirts of Bristol, and Apple SouthGate in Bath in future.
AMBITIOUS PLANS
Cabot Circus is set to transform with new shops lining Philadelphia Street.
Bristol Alliance Partnership proposed to replace the shops' first floor areas with a space that will suit new, flexible workspaces and healthcare.
The plans also emphasised preserving the architectural heritage of the site, while supporting "sustainable urban development".
Apple's current location will be transformed into a "vibrant" public space for locals to relax in.
Despite the ambitious plans, many shoppers have expressed doubt over the long term management of the area.
Major card chain with 163 shops launches closing down sales ahead of shutting its doors for good
One unhappy local said: "No more reason ever to go there after that. How they have mismanaged that place."
Another added: "The site is so badly managed long term. Bristol is really bad at good long term planning, sadly."
Meanwhile a third said: "I don't understand what they are trying to achieve. It will never be a going out area will it."
Why are retailers closing stores?
RETAILERS have been feeling the squeeze since the pandemic, while shoppers are cutting back on spending due to the soaring cost of living crisis.
High energy costs and a move to shopping online after the pandemic are also taking a toll, and many high street shops have struggled to keep going.
However, additional costs have added further pain to an already struggling sector.
The British Retail Consortium has predicted that the Treasury's hike to employer NICs from April 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.
The Centre for Retail Research (CRR) has also warned that around 17,350 retail sites are expected to shut down this year.
It comes on the back of a tough 2024 when 13,000 shops closed their doors for good, already a 28% increase on the previous year.
Professor Joshua Bamfield, director of the CRR said: "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 comes after almost 170,000 retail workers lost their jobs in 2024.
End-of-year figures compiled by the Centre for Retail Research showed the number of job losses spiked amid the collapse of major chains such as Homebase and Ted Baker.
It said its latest analysis showed that a total of 169,395 retail jobs were lost in the 2024 calendar year to date.
This was up 49,990 – an increase of 41.9% – compared with 2023.
It is the highest annual reading since more than 200,000 jobs were lost in 2020 in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced retailers to shut their stores during lockdowns.
The centre said 38 major retailers went into administration in 2024, including household names such as Lloyds Pharmacy, Homebase, The Body Shop, Carpetright and Ted Baker.
Around a third of all retail job losses in 2024, 33% or 55,914 in total, resulted from administrations.
Experts have said small high street shops could face a particularly challenging 2025 because of Budget tax and wage changes.
Professor Bamfield has warned of a bleak outlook for 2025, predicting that as many as 202,000 jobs could be lost in the sector.
"By increasing both the costs of running stores and the costs on each consumer's household it is highly likely that we will see retail job losses eclipse the height of the pandemic in 2020."
Then a fourth said: "Looks like chatgpt had a good work out there…"
Followed by a fifth: "Who's getting a back hander on this work that doesn't need to happen?"
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