Coffee chain with 2,000 branches will close location within hours – see full list of closures
A major coffee chain with more than 2,000 branches is about to close one of their beloved stores for the last time ever in just a few hours.
Costa Coffee on Bruntsfield Place in Edinburgh will grind its last bean when the store officially closes tomorrow on Valentine's Day.
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The sad closure was confirmed by Costa in December, but reality is finally sinking in as residents count down the hours until the shutters are finally battened down for good.
A Costa spokesperson told The Sun: “We can confirm that our Costa Coffee store on Bruntsfield Place will close its doors to trading on September 14.e from February 2024.
“We apologize for the inconvenience.
“Customers can continue to enjoy their favorite Costa coffee in our nearby store on Morningside Road.”
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Locals took to social media to express their distressed reactions to the closure.
One person said: “God Almighty, so many businesses are losing in Edinburgh, the council needs to fix the rates so this doesn't keep happening.”
Another added: “Bit of a shame, we love Costa and it's always busy when we've been there.”
While some others weren't too disappointed with the closure and saw it as a positive step for other independent coffee shops.
“We have too many coffee chains in this city! Let independent businesses flourish again,” one person added.
While another said: “Means more sales for independent cafes.”
Full list of Costa closures
ALL of the following Costa locations have closed in the last 12 months.
2023 closures
- Coliseum Retail Park in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire – June 3
- Welch Way, Witney – June 5
- Wigan City Center – June 25
- Five Rise Shopping Centre, Bingley – July 9
- High Street, Worcester – July (rescheduled to September 15)
- Lowestoft's North Quay retail park – July 23 (refurbishment)
- Church Street, Oakham – September 15th
- West Bridgford, near Nottingham – September 22
- Commercial Street, Newport, Wales – October
- Church Street in Malvern, near Worcestershire – November 17
- Gatwick Airport South Terminal – November
2024 closures
- Packhorse Road, Buckinghamshire – January 10
- King Street, Maidstone, Kent – January 20
- Chiswick High Road, London – February 6
- Bruntsfield Place, Edinburgh – February 14
Fortunately, all stores have more Costa stores nearby, which you can find using the search function on the chain's website.
Closures for food and drinks
Food and drink chains in general have also suffered in recent months as the cost of living has led to fewer people spending money on eating out.
Businesses struggled to recover after the pandemic but were hit by rising energy bills and inflation.
Several chains have been affected, causing major brands such as Wetherspoons and Frankie & Benny's to close branches.
In early 2023, hamburger chain Byron Burger collapsed, resulting in the loss of more than 200 jobs.
Italian chain Prezzo also announced plans last year to close 46 restaurants due to rising energy and food costs, putting 810 jobs at risk.
Lidl will pull down the shutters on its Thornaby site later this month.
The bargain retailer has confirmed that its Stockton-on-Tees locations will close on February 29.
What else is happening on the shopping street?
Earlier today, hundreds of jobs were put at risk when the UK arm of Body Shop went into administration.
FRP Advisory has been brought in to restructure the beauty and cosmetics company, which has around 200 stores in the UK.
A statement from Body Shop said: “Administrators will now consider all options to find a way forward for the company and will notify creditors and employees in due course.”
Retailers have been feeling the pressure since the pandemic, as shoppers cut back on spending due to the rising cost of living.
High energy costs and the move to online shopping after the pandemic are also taking their toll, with many high street stores struggling to continue.
The high street has seen a slew of closures in the past year and more are in the pipeline.
Sales volumes fell 3.2% in December, data showed the office as National Statistics suggests, down from a 1.4% increase a month earlier.
Numerous major brands have been banned in the past twelve months, including the major discounter Wilko.
But it has since returned to the high street under The Range's ownership, and Wilko brand items are stocked in The Range stores.
Both M&Co and Joules are among the well-known brands that went bankrupt in 2022.
Paperchase then fell into administration at the end of January last year and all 106 stores later closed for good.
The good news
Fortunately, some stores are bucking the trend and opening new locations.
Primark said it will open five new stores, with one coming within weeks.
B&M will open six new locations in early 2024, including in former Wilko stores that it took over.
Beauty retailer Sephora is opening its third location in Manchester this year.
Another skincare and makeup icon, Avon, plans to open stores in Britain for the first time in its more than 100-year history.
Costco plans to open 14 new locations in Britain over the summer next one two years, while Greggs will add 160 branches this year.
See the full list of stores opening on the high street in our overview.