‘Worst news ever’ customers sob as ‘go to’ sandwich bar closes after 30 years
CUSTOMERS are sharing their dismay after an iconic sandwich bar closed its doors for good.
Locals are calling the closure the ‘worst news ever’ and ‘so incredibly sad’.
The Baguette Bar, near the center of Swindon, welcomed customers for the final time on Friday, March 1.
Shoppers are devastated after discovering the store, best known for its “Workman’s Ham”, has closed permanently after opening 30 years ago.
One said: “This is the worst news ever, even more devastating than Take That’s split.
“My father took me here as a child and I also brought my children. Such a shame.”
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Another said: “Oh no, my hometown favourite, so sad,” while a third added: “What the hell, I go there at least twice a week, never knew they were closing.”
Even a local real estate agent weighed in, posting on his Facebook page: “The place to celebrate a good week for over 20 years.
“We loved them so much that in 2018 we even reduced our fee for the sale of the owners’ home a few doors down.”
It comes after a turbulent time for retailers in Swindon.
Shoe chain Schuh lowered the shutters of its branch in the city on January 13.
Shoppers quickly labeled the closure as a sign that the “city center is dead”.
Meanwhile, the Midcounties Co-operative closed one of its stores on February 3 and Sports Direct said it would close a branch early this year.
According to local news reports, Boots in Swindon also closed on February 9, as did M&S, which closed last October.
Why are retailers closing their stores?
Retailers in Britain are feeling the pressure as households increasingly shop online.
The working from home trend that took off during the pandemic also meant people spent less time on the high street.
This, in combination with high energy and labor costs and inflation in recent years, has led to a number of companies having to close their doors.
Some major brands have gone bankrupt, including Wilko, Paperchase and most recently The Body Shop.
Meanwhile, other retailers such as Boots are consolidating their portfolios and turning their attention away from the high street.
But it’s not all bad news. Some retailers have expanded their physical store presence in the UK.
B&M recently announced the exact dates it will open ten more branches in March and April.
It comes after the retailer opened 17 branches in January and February.
Why are retailers closing their stores?
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, with more to come.
The number of jobs lost in UK retail fell last year, but 120,000 people still lost their jobs, figures show.
Figures from the Center for Retail Research show that 10,494 stores will have closed for the last time in 2023 and 119,405 jobs will have been lost in the sector.
It was fewer stores than had been lost in recent years, and a decrease from the 151,641 jobs lost in 2022.
The centre’s director, Professor Joshua Bamfield, said the improvement is “less bad” than good.
While some big names on the high street were lost, including Wilko, many major companies had already gone bankrupt before 2022, the center said, such as Topshop owner Arcadia, Jessops and Debenhams.
“The cost of living crisis, inflation and rise in interest rates have prompted many consumers to tighten their belts, causing retail spending to fall,” said Prof Bamfield.
“Retailers themselves have faced rising energy and occupancy costs, staff shortages and declining demand, making rebuilding profits after extensive store closures during the pandemic exceptionally difficult.”
Besides Wilko, which employed around 12,000 people when it went bust, the biggest failures of 2023 include UK Flooring Direct, Planet Organic and Tile Giant.
The Center for Retail Research said most stores were closed as companies tried to reorganize and cut costs rather than face bankruptcy.
However, experts have warned that more bankruptcies are likely this year as consumers tighten their belts and borrowing costs for businesses soar.
According to official figures, about 14% of bankruptcies last year occurred in retail businesses.
Asda is also massively expanding its portfolio of smaller Express stores.
In February, Primark confirmed plans to open new branches and invest in and renovate more than a dozen of its existing stores.
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