Retailers have been navigating a challenging environment in 2025, with monthly store closures becoming regular. The Centre for Retail Research's latest figures from February indicate that seven 'failing businesses', including Homebase, Beales, Select Fashion, and Quiz Clothing, have impacted more than 1,000 employees and 206 stores. While some of these brands continue to operate online or are undergoing significant restructuring, their physical high street footprint has diminished.
The trend is set to persist into April as numerous brands gear up to close down certain outlets. High street retailers face stiff competition from online marketplaces, and when combined with steep commercial rents, maintaining flagship stores becomes increasingly untenable. Greggs Cambridge's beloved Greggs on Fitzroy Street is set to dish out its final steak bake and sausage roll next weekend, with the shop shutting for good on March 31.
Fans of the bakery chain have been left gutted by the announcement, with one dismayed Facebook user commenting: "I nearly cried when I read the news that the Grafton Greggs is closing." In January, Greggs also said goodbye to a location in Amersham, Buckinghamshire. WHSmith The retail giant has announced plans to close 17 outlets this year and could sell all 500 of its high-street stores in the UK.
Nonetheless, for April, the focus is on the closure of five specific branches: Sainsbury's Sainsbury's is expected to shutter 61 of its cafes permanently. This will res.
