‘Shocking’ shoppers sob as major supermarket closes three stores today
A SUPERMARKET giant with 960 branches is closing three stores.
Lidl welcomes shoppers to its sites for the last time today.
The bargain retailer has confirmed it is closing its stores in Thornab, Girlington and Leyland.
Lidl said it had been trying to find a larger site in Girlington for the past two years but had been refused plans by Bradford Council.
It confirmed that all staff at the store will be offered jobs at other Lidl branches.
Elsewhere, the retailer said it is closing its site in Churchill Way Retail Park, Leyland, as it is “no longer fit for purpose”.
And shoppers in Stockton-on-Tees have been urged to visit Lidl supermarkets in Tower Street and Billingham Road once the Thornaby store closes.
Locals in the various areas have reacted to the news of the closures on social media.
One said: “Absolutely ridiculous decision to refuse the plan.”
A second commented: “Wow, it’s always sad to see a store that has been part of the community for so long close its doors.”
Meanwhile, a third added: “I’m sad too…. the bakery helps me get through my working day.”
“That is disappointing and shocking,” wrote another.
A fifth said: “This is a shame. I do all my shopping there as it’s convenient and on the way home from work. All the staff are great.”
Another customer said: “You take the p**s.”
It comes after Lidl downed the shutters of several supermarkets over the past year.
The chain is closing its store in Paignton, Devon, next one month after 25 years.
The store in the Victoria Center closed permanently on February 4 after long speculation about it future.
A spokesperson said locals can rest assured they can head to the larger White Rock Way store, just a 10-minute walk away.
Lidl also closed its branch in Kentish Town Road on February 11, after a decade in the high street.
It’s not all bad news though and Lidl has plans to acquire an alternative location nearby so they can reopen.
It was recently confirmed that Lidl plans to close its warehouse in Walsall within a year.
The supermarket chain says the building, which is fifty years old, is “no longer fit for purpose”.
Lidl is also undergoing a broader restructuring to ensure that its “logistics function is designed as effectively as possible”.
It has been operating from the depot since 2008 and will close it in a year.
It’s not all bad news, however, as the chain has big plans to open more sites in the coming year.
Last year, Lidl bosses announced that the chain wanted to open hundreds of new locations.
While exact locations are yet to be confirmed, it aims to open high street stores, standalone stores, mixed-use stores and shopping centers.
Lidl is also looking at retail parks and metropolitan areas in London and the M25.
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 Central Wales.
The retailer has a store target of 1,100 stores by the end of 2025.
What else is happening on the shopping street?
Retailers have been feeling the pressure since the pandemic, with shoppers cutting back on spending due to the rising cost of living.
High energy costs and the switch to online shopping after the pandemic are also taking their toll and many stores on the high streets are struggling to continue.
The high street has seen a slew of closures in the past year and more are in the pipeline.
Several major brands have gone bankrupt in 2023, including Wilko and Paperchase.
The Lidl news comes just weeks after The Body Shop fell into administration.
Then last week it announced it would close nearly half of its 198 stores.
Seven branches have closed with immediate effect, including branches in Surrey Quays and Oxford Street, London.
Beginning of February, Hobbycrafts owner, Bridgepoint, is said to be exploring “strategic options” for the company.
These options could include the retailer being auctioned off.
In January, struggling fashion brand Superdry said it was looking at several “cost-cutting options” after reporting it was considering a major restructuring including store closures and job cuts.
Together with advisors from PwC, we worked on a plan that could lead to a CVA or another form of restructuring.
Such a move could result in store closures and potentially force rent reductions from landlords.
How to save on your supermarket shopping
There are plenty of ways to save money at your grocery store.
You can look for yellow or red stickers on products, which indicate when they are discounted.
If the food is fresh, eat it quickly or freeze it for another time.
Making a list should also save you money because you’ll be less likely to make hasty purchases when you go to the grocery store.
Choosing your own brand can be an easy way to save hundreds of dollars a year on your food bill, too.
This means ditching the ‘best’ or ‘luxury’ products and instead opting for ‘proprietary’ or value-for-money lines.
Many supermarkets have shaky fruit and vegetable programs where you can get cheap prices if they are misshapen or imperfect.
For example, Lidl runs its Waste Not scheme, offering 5kg boxes of fruit and vegetables for just £1.50.
If you’re on a low income and a parent, you could potentially get up to £442 a year in Healthy Start vouchers, which you can also use at the supermarket.
In addition, many municipalities offer supermarket vouchers as part of the Household Support Fund.
Further store closures
Boots will close a further ten stores in the coming weeks.
The move by health and beauty retailer Boots is part of plans to close 300 locations.
Matalan closed one of its branches in Leeds on February 24.
main Street Designer brand Kurt Geiger has downed the shutters of its Brighton store.
Fenwick department store too closed its London flagship store on Bond Street on February 3.
Fashion chain of major brands Peacocks closed one of its branches in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, last month.
Peacocks is also shuttering its store in Camborne, Cornwall, on April 3 with “a very heavy heart”.
Entertainment retailer HMV also closed its branch in Boston, Lincolnshire on January 27.
And the catering sector has also been hit: pubs such as Wetherspoons and restaurants such as Frankie & Benny’s and Chiquito have closed their doors.
In addition, a total of 56 bank branches will close their doors in March alone.
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