Latest news with #outdoorretailer
The Sun
6 hours ago
- Business
- The Sun
Major outdoor retailer with 300 branches to shut store in DAYS with ‘everything must go' sale launched
A MAJOR outdoor retailer with 300 branches is set to shut in days. Trespass is closing its store in West Street, Horsham and has launched an "everything must go" sale. 1 The branch will be shutting its doors for the final time in August, Sussex World reported. Trespass, which sells outdoor clothing and equipment for activities like hiking and camping, is also closing its store in Peterborough's Queensgate Shopping Centre, according to local news reports. However, the exact dates for both of these closures is yet to be confirmed. The Horsham branch is one of several Trespass stores closing this year. Shoppers in Aylesbury saw the closure of their Trespass store in the Friars Square Shopping Centre on May 18, while its store in Leicester shut on March 31. Some of the closures may be due to refurbishment or relocation. Meanwhile, two more stores are due to close their doors later this year. Trespass in Watford's Harlequin shopping centre has put "Closing Down" signs in its windows and is set to close on October 31. According to the Watford Observer, Trespass may relocate elsewhere in town, though this has not been confirmed. The chain's branch on Ipswich's Westgate Street will close on October 18, according to posters in the store windows advertising a closing down sale. Huge high street retailer makes Irish return with first shop opening five years after devastating eight store closure The fresh closures come after Trespass confirmed it would shut six outlets in July 2023. The stores were located in Derby, Harrogate, Canterbury, Solihul, Workington and Chesterfield. In 2024, the chain announced plans to shut 12 more stores, including sites in Coventry, Norwich, and Middlesbrough. More high street closures Trespass isn't the only retailer fading from Britain's high streets. Clothing brand Monki, which is owned by H&M, is closing its Glasgow store in Buchanan Galleries in August. The retailer has already shuttered branches in Manchester, Birmingham, Newcastle, Sheffield, and London earlier this year. New Look has also launched a wave of store closures, with 11 branches shutting already in 2025. Its branch in Neath, Wales, set to close imminently on August 6. Poundland, meanwhile, is closing 37 stores in August as part of a wider restructuring plan following its £1 sale to Gordon Brothers earlier this year. You can see the full list of Poundland stores shutting in August here. Superdrug is set to close two more stores next month, adding to a string of recent closures. The Grantham branch in Lincolnshire will shut on August 9, followed by the Redruth store in Cornwall closing on August 16. Popular homeware chain Lakeland is also preparing to shut one of its high street stores. The Lakeland store on Broad Street in Reading will shut on August 8, the store confirmed to The Sun. Signs in the window announce the closure and an 'everything must go' sale. Lakeland operates 58 stores across the UK and employs around 1,000 staff. The Sun has contacted Trespass for comment.
The Sun
3 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
Huge outdoor chain with over 300 locations to shut shopping centre branch in DAYS
A major outdoor retailer with over 300 branches is set to close one of its stores. The Trespass branch in Watford will shut its doors on October 31 - with an 'everything must go' sale now underway. 2 The outdoor clothing and equipment shop is located on the upper mall level of Harlequin Watford shopping centre. According to the Watford Observer, Trespass may relocate elsewhere in town, though this has not been confirmed. For now, the store remains open during its usual hours - Monday to Saturday from 9am to 6pm and Sundays from 11am to 6pm. Nearby branches can be found in Harrow, Hemel Hempstead and Hatfield. Another business is expected to take over the unit once the Trespass store shuts. The chain sells sportswear and outdoor gear, including skiwear, waterproof jackets, fleeces, festival accessories, walking boots and camping equipment. This closure comes as part of a broader trend for the retailer. In July 2023, Trespass announced it would shut six outlets. The stores were located in Derby, Harrogate, Canterbury, Solihul, Workington and Chesterfield. In 2024, it announced plans to shut 12 more Trespass stores, including sites in Coventry, Norwich, and Middlesbrough. The Middlesbrough store - which had opened only two years earlier - closed in early 2025. However, the Norwich branch later reopened at a new location in Castle Quarter. In May, Trespass pulled down the shutters on its Aylesbury store in Buckinghamshire. Meanwhile, popular homeware chain Lakeland is also preparing to shut one of its high street stores. The Lakeland store on Broad Street in Reading will shut on August 8, the store confirmed to The Sun. Signs in the window announce the closure and an 'everything must go' sale. Based in Windermere in the Lake District, Lakeland operates 58 stores across the UK and employs around 1,000 staff. The retailer is known for selling a range of homeware and kitchen products, including spatulas, food containers and baking suppliers. 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. 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. 2
The Sun
08-05-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Beloved outdoor retailer to shut after 30 YEARS as owner reveals why iconic store is moving out of town centre
A BELOVED outdoor retailer is set to shut up shop after nearly three decades in business. The store has been trading from its shop in Northampton since 1997 and the owners have revealed why they're moving out of town. 1 Cycle King opened in Kettering Road between the late 1990s and early 2000s. But the company will move elsewhere as the four-storey building the store is located in is being marketed for £375,000 ahead of a public auction on May 22 by Stretton Auctions. Cycle King's director, Julian Thake, said: "We are looking to relocate to an out-of-town location. "However, at this stage we have not managed to fully finalise the purchase, so are unable to confirm our proposed new location." Thake revealed the reason behind the move and expressed his pride at how long the store has been trading. He said: "We have proudly traded in Northampton for nearly 28 years. "In this time, there have been many changes to the retail environment which require assessment on how to best adapt for the future. "The property has served us very well, however, it is showing its age in areas and has limitations for modern retail operation. The building and its location boast great potential through redevelopment to contribute to the positive ongoing regeneration of the area. "We believe that relocating to more suitable and efficient premises will allow us to provide a better experience for our customers and Cycle King and Hawk Cycles to continue to grow the business." With more than 23 locations nationwide, Cycle King has a 4.5 out of five-star rating from over 200 Google reviews Happy customer, Simon, recently wrote: "I bought my bicycle here about three years ago and am still happily riding it! "I have been in many times since for maintenance and repairs and have always had a good job done by the friendly and professional staff here." The closest branch to Northampton can be found at Milton Keynes and others are located Coventry, Cambridge, and Oxford. Thake added: "Customers can be rest assured that we will continue to offer our great service in and around the Northampton area." The founder of the business opened his first bike shop in Sawbridgeworth back in 1972. The brand became known as "The Cycle King" in the early 1980s. The company then acquired Hawk Cycles bicycle factory in 1994, continuing to manufacture bikes until 2010. They then merged with Cycle King, forming the retailer seen today. Cycle King and Hawk Cycles marked 50 years in business in 2018. 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.
