Shoppers are sobbing as a huge bargain chain with more than 500 stores has to close its doors
EMBARRASSED shoppers cried at the “very sad news” that a popular discount chain with more than 500 stores was pulling down the shutters for good.
With the steep cost of living and sky-high bills, many Brits are relying on charity shops and other second-hand shops such as Vinted and eBay.
Bookworms and bargain hunters were disappointed to hear that an Oxfam bookshop in Bishop’s Stortford, East Hertfordshire, was waving goodbye to customers.
An announcement on Facebook by a local councilor read: “It’s always sad to see shops closing on the High Street (Oxfam bookshop closing in April – well, in this case North Street).”
The organization has attributed the closure to the area no longer being a popular shopping destination.
Loyal shoppers were saddened to hear the news and filled the comments section with their farewell messages.
“Oh, what a shame,” wrote one disappointed customer.
“I’m very sorry to see the Oxfam bookshop disappear,” wrote another.
A third agreed: “Very sad news.”
Someone else said: “That’s really sad. I drive from Brighton twice a year and always visit this shop to pick something up.”
“I do all the charity shops but this one was so good for books and they even put them in alphabetical order by author which makes selection so easy,” praised another.
“Oh, how sad,” one fan agreed.
An Oxfam spokesperson said: “We regret to close the Oxfam bookshop on North Street, mainly due to the fact that the area has longer been a shopping destination.
‘We thank everyone for their use over the years. However, we are moving our books to our other Oxfam store in Bishop’s Stortford, on South Street, a larger store and in a busier shopping area.
“We will also be creating a dedicated music space in the South Street store. The bookshop store manager and most of our brilliant team of volunteers will also move to the South Street store.”
The Bishop’s Stortford branch isn’t the only much-loved store to close.
Oxfam currently has 548 stores open in the UK, but pulled the plug last year.
The locations where branches are closing are:
- Alfreton
- Temple Fortune
- Worth
- Kentish town
- Arnold
- Grimsby
- Leigh
- Lee-on-the-Solent
It comes as thousands of high street stores have said goodbye amid an epidemic of closures across the UK.
Even industry giants have fallen victim in recent months.
Body Shop bosses recently called in administrators with a “significant number” of jobs and stores at risk as the brand looks set to enter an insolvency process.
Meanwhile, popular beauty retailer Boots has also sadly announced it will close 300 stores this year, following several closures in 2023.
And a large number of locations at discount store Lidl have also closed.
The full list, of 1,168 locations, includes locations in all parts of Great Britain, including: 66 in Scotland, 83 in Yorkshire, 83 in central England, 91 in south London and 42 in south-mid Wales.
Bargain hunters will also be devastated to hear that discount retailer B&M has closed another store.
It follows the rise in the cost of living, rising energy bills and even some businesses continuing to feel the knock-on effect of the pandemic.
Shoppers have been forced to cut back, while the costs of running stores have also risen.
Figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) this summer showed that Britain had lost 6,000 stores in a five-year period.