Shoppers devastated as beauty brand with 66 stores to close city branch TODAY
A MAJOR retailer with 66 branches is set to close one of its stores today, leaving shoppers devastated.
The cosmetics retailer caused uproar among locals after announcing it was closing its Herefordshire branch for good.
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Beauty giant L’Occitane En Provence is pulling down the shutters on Hereford’s Old Market.
The sudden closure has left many shoppers disappointed and worried that other stores will disappear, leaving their mall empty.
One local resident wrote on social media: “Well that’s just fantastic, what a waste of money to build that centre.”
Another added: “So sad for those who will lose their jobs.”
The cosmetics branch opened on Hereford’s Old Market ten years ago and hundreds of customers have flocked to the store.
But beauty lovers in the area will now have to get their cosmetic essentials elsewhere.
“Oh, that’s a shame,” said a third.
They added, “I like their products even if they are a little pricey.”
While a fourth commented: “The real problem is that people don’t have the extra money to spend in ‘niche’ and gimmicky stores that no one really needs.
“Hereford needs to attract investment.”
Hereford Council has been contacted for comment.
Why are shops in the major shopping streets closing?
Retail chains have felt the pressure since the pandemic, as shoppers spend less money due to the rising cost of living.
High energy costs and the increased popularity of online shopping have taken their toll on many stores struggling to keep the lights on.
In recent years, an unprecedented number of popular stores have closed for good.
Several major brands have also collapsed, such as Wilko and Paperchase.
As consumers prefer to buy their favorite items online, even some of the largest retailers are facing tight budgets, leaving them no choice but to close stores to cut costs.
British retailers saw the amount of goods sold fall last month, at the fastest pace in three years, as under-pressure households moved some of their Christmas shopping to earlier this year.
Sales volumes fell 3.2% in December, Office for National Statistics data showed, compared with a 1.4% increase a month earlier.
Several major chains are pulling down the shutters for the last time this month.
WHSmith in Oban, Scotland, will close permanently on February 17.
Boots has revealed it will close 300 stores over the next year as part of plans to develop its brand.
What are my rights if a company I have ordered from goes bankrupt or stops trading?
According to Citizen Advice, if a company or trader stops trading or goes bankrupt, you could end up without the item you paid for or with unfinished work.
There are several ways to try to get your money back or get the work done.
But there is no guarantee that you will get what you paid for.
You will need to call the company, visit their office or store, or write to them to find out what is going on.
Explain what you paid for and ask for the item you purchased or a refund.
If you can’t reach a company or want to confirm that the company has gone out of business, you can look up the name at:
- the Companies House website if they are a limited company (with the letters ‘Ltd’ or ‘Plc’ after their name)
- the Insolvency Register if they are an individual (a sole trader) or a company – find both the person’s name and their trading name
It may take several weeks for information to appear on these websites.