Debenhams have announced they’re closing down 19 stores in January and another 28 over the coming year, while HMV have already starting shutting down stores without advance warning. HMV customers reported walking into their local stores only to see closing down sale signs in the window. Stores affected so far…
Debenhams:
Altrincham
Birmingham (The Fort)
Kirkcaldy
Walton-on-Thames
Wandsworth
Wolverhampton
Chatham
Great Yarmouth
Slough
Stockton-on-Tees
Welwyn
Witney
Ashford
Canterbury
Eastbourne
Folkestone
Southport
Southsea
Wimbledon
HMV:
Leeds
Reading
Plymouth
Birmingham (Bullring)
Worcester
Bury St Edmunds
Grimsby
Plymouth
Nuneaton
Bury
The Times Newspaper is also reporting some shocking predictions for 2020, with analysts estimating somewhere in the region of 7,000 store closures, resulting in approx 125,000 job losses, due to online competition, rising wages, high rents and steep increases in business rates.
SOURCES:
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/debenhams-closures-full-list-19-21211073
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/business/hmv-closing-down-multiple-stores-21209963
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/big-retailers-face-year-of-shut-stores-and-job-losses-tjr0nd6tn
