All posts tagged: High Street

UK restaurant chain issues major update after warning all branches could close forever | UK | News

UK restaurant chain issues major update after warning all branches could close forever | UK | News

Published by Sam Flores

A major UK restaurant chain has issued an update after warning all of its restaurants could close. The chain has been saved from administration following fears that all 44 sites could shut for good. Plans to rescue the Latin-American chain have been approved by a High Court judge. Iguanas Holdings Limited, currently operating dozens of Las Iguanas restaurants across the UK, previously revealed it was drowning in £37million of debt. The “heavily loss-making” company would “inevitably enter administration”, the company’s lawyers told a hearing on Friday, June 5. But they added the firm had been able to stay afloat thanks to a “turnaround strategy” by its parent company, The Big Table Group, which also owns chains including Frankie & Benny’s, Bella Italia, and Banana Tree. The restructuring plan was approved by the majority of the company’s creditors to wipe out debts and see Big Table inject £3million into the company. Representing the company, Ryan Perkins said the UK casual dining sector had suffered “substantial problems” in recent years because of high inflation, reduced customer spending, …

M&S shoppers ‘heartbroken’ as city centre store closes doors | UK | News

M&S shoppers ‘heartbroken’ as city centre store closes doors | UK | News

Published by Sam Flores

The UK city centre M&S store closed its doors on Saturday (Image: Getty) Marks and Spencer shoppers have been left ‘heartbroken’ as a UK city store shut its doors for the final time on Saturday, May 30. The Swansea store closed due to underperforming according to the high street chain. On Saturday, shoppers came to pay their respects to the branch, with flower tributes being placed by the building. The Oxford Street store has been a major shopping attraction in the city for many years. The closure was announced in February and 92 jobs were put at risk as a result. An M&S spokesperson said: “Our M&S Swansea city centre store will close on Saturday, 30 May. “As previously announced, this decision forms part of our plans to reshape our store estate so we can invest in stores that better meet the needs of our customers. “We remain committed to serving customers in Swansea through our nearby stores and online, and are working closely with Swansea Council and other local partners to explore opportunities for …

UK high street giant closes store in seaside town | UK | News

UK high street giant closes store in seaside town | UK | News

Published by Sam Flores

The shop has closed for good (Image: Getty) A UK seaside town has waved goodbye to a popular shop, with locals now fearing the worst for the area. The fashion retailer, which operates around 200 shops across the UK and Ireland, closed the store for good on Wednesday (May 27). The closure of River Island in Llandudno, Wales, has left shoppers “gutted”. Some have blamed the rise of online shopping for the closure, while other have pointed towards increasing costs for businesses. Posters were put on the front windows of the shop at Parc Llandudno, reading: “This store is closing. Wednesday, May 27. Thanks for shopping with us – we’ve had a blast. You can still shop the latest trends at riverisland.com and nearby locations. With love, Ri x.” The store in Llandudno was not among the 33 closures announced by River Island earlier this year. The wider closures comes part of a restructuring and cost-cutting plan following multi-million pound losses. Huge fight erupts on UK beach as feral youths attack police and force families …

Major clothing chain with over 300 branches to shut branch in UK town | UK | News

Major clothing chain with over 300 branches to shut branch in UK town | UK | News

Published by Sam Flores

Though the chain hasn’t publicly confirmed a closing date, it appears to be the end of an era for a store that has been on the high street since 2016. It’s not clear what led to the store’s apparent closure. The Express has reached out to Mountain Warehouse for more information. Marlow has a population of around 15,000 and boasts “historic streets with small listed buildings and an abundance of boutique shops, restaurants, cafes and bistros”, as per Visit Thames. It’s not yet known whether Mountain Warehouse intends to find another site there. It follows a number of changes to Mountain Warehouse’s estate in recent years, with a number of branches closing or relocating since 2020, either to move into larger sites or consolidate stores in a local area, Bucks Free Press reports. The brand, which was founded by entrepreneur Mark Neale, launched its first store in Swindon back in 1997. Over the 25 years since, the chain has expanded considerably, with around 300 stores in the UK, and a further 100 or so in …

Marks & Spencer closing huge store in seaside town – 50 jobs at risk | UK | News

Marks & Spencer closing huge store in seaside town – 50 jobs at risk | UK | News

Published by Sam Flores

A busy M&S store in a popular UK seaside town is closing, putting 50 jobs at risk and leaving locals “devastated”. M&S has confirmed it is shutting its Food Hall in Walton-on-the-Naze, which is currently located at Arthur Ransome Way in the Essex seaside town. The store closure was proposed last month, as the site did not have a “sustainable” future. In a new update, it has now been confirmed that the store will be shutting its doors for good on September 28. The high street retail giant said it plans to redeploy as many colleagues to nearby stores as possible. Will Holden, regional manager at M&S, said: “Since we shared our proposals last month, we have consulted with our colleagues and can now confirm that our Walton-on-the-Naze store will close on Saturday 26th September. “I’d like to thank everyone who has shopped with us at the store over the years and we will continue working hard to serve you over the coming months, and in future at our nearby Clacton Brook Park foodhall.” It …

UK restaurant chain closes 9 sites with 151 jobs lost – despite rescue | UK | News

UK restaurant chain closes 9 sites with 151 jobs lost – despite rescue | UK | News

Published by Sam Flores

The Real Greek aims to take customers to Greece through its decor and menu (Image: Getty) UK restaurant chain The Real Greek is set to close nine of its locations and axe 151 jobs despite a rescue deal after falling into administration. The chain, which was founded in London in 1999, has been rescued from the brink of collapse after the owners of Cote Brasserie stepped in on Friday, May 1, to buy some of its outlets. But Cote owner Karali Group said it would only save 19 out of The Real Greek’s 28 UK restaurants as part of the rescue deal, meaning nine of its locations will close. Karali Group made an offer for most of the smaller operator’s sites after Japanese restaurant group Toridoll – the owner of The Real Greek’s parent company Fulham Shore – was placed into administration. The new owner said the move to save 19 of the locations will save 358 out of 509 jobs, meaning 151 jobs will be lost, despite the rescue deal. READ MORE: Households with …

Huge UK high street chain planning comeback after 154 store closures | UK | News

Huge UK high street chain planning comeback after 154 store closures | UK | News

Published by Sam Flores

Plans are in motion for high street icon Claire’s to return to towns and cities across the country, just days after it shut its final UK stores. The operator of the jewellery and accessories chain in France, Austria, Portugal and Spain is looking to reopen around 50 shops in the UK from next month. French entrepreneur Julien Jarjoura has revealed he is signing new leases with landlords to reopen Claire’s stores in the coming weeks. Mr Jarjoura said he is aiming to reopen four to 10 UK shops a week from June in what will be a huge boost to British high streets. More than 1,000 jobs were lost when Claire’s closed its last remaining 154 UK and Ireland high street stores on Monday. Speaking to The Guardian, Mr Jarjoura said: “The brand was basically dead and we’re bringing it back to life.” He added: “A lot of people think Claire’s is a British brand. It is extremely famous in the UK and there is no way it is going away.” Claire’s first launched in …

Major UK high street chain to close 270 shops – in business since 1934 | UK | News

Major UK high street chain to close 270 shops – in business since 1934 | UK | News

Published by Sam Flores

William Hill has announced the closure of 270 betting shops across the UK after posting losses of £220million. The owner of the well-known bookmaker revealed last week that it is in discussions regarding a potential £225.3 million takeover by Greek lottery and gaming company Bally’s Intralot. William Hill and 888 owner Evoke has confirmed approximately 270 high street outlets are set to shut as it seeks to cushion the blow from rising taxes, amid ongoing negotiations over a £225.3 million takeover of the group. The gambling giant stated it had identified the sites for closure following a review of its estate, as it disclosed pre-tax losses more than doubled to £549.1 million in 2025, up from £220.9 million in 2024, largely attributed to UK tax increases. The shop closures are anticipated to result in hundreds of redundancies, though Evoke has yet to confirm exactly how many jobs are at risk. This follows Evoke’s announcement last week that it was in talks over a potential acquisition by Greek lottery and gaming firm Bally’s Intralot, in a …

Iconic British shoe chain closes 33 stores after administration – ‘majority’ of jobs lost | UK | News

Iconic British shoe chain closes 33 stores after administration – ‘majority’ of jobs lost | UK | News

Published by Sam Flores

A famous British shoe chain has closed all of its 33 remaining high street stores for good, with its administrators revealing the “majority” of jobs have been lost. Russell & Bromley was acquired after collapsing into administration earlier this year. Investors Interpath told Drapers the phased closure of the retailer’s remaining specialist stores is “now complete”. The last of the store closures are believed to have taken place last week on April 23, following the closure of the first 10 stores on April 21. Before the closures, Russell & Bromley employed 320 staff across its stores, though Interpath has not yet confirmed how many employees left the business ahead of being made redundant. The joint administrators said in a statement to Drapers: “All stores that did not transfer to Next as part of that transaction closed on or before 23 April 2026. “Regrettably, these closures mean that the majority of employees working in the non‑transferring stores have been made redundant. “The administrators and their teams are engaging closely with all affected staff and will be …

Panic as UK town high street to be ‘killed off’ from June 1 – ‘catastrophic’ | UK | News

Panic as UK town high street to be ‘killed off’ from June 1 – ‘catastrophic’ | UK | News

Published by Sam Flores

High Street, Sanquhar (Image: Google Streetview) Fears are mounting that a major road shutdown could devastate a struggling High Street in the Scottish town of Sanquhar, with traders warning the disruption may effectively “kill off” the town centre. Business owners say the planned closure will choke off vital passing traffic and leave them fighting to survive at an already difficult time. Shopkeepers in the town have voiced alarm over a six-week closure of the A76, a key route running directly through the High Street, calling the potential fallout “catastrophic”. The road is set to be completely shut from June 1 until July 10 to allow essential stonework repairs to the historic Tolbooth Museum, a Category A-listed building dating back to the 18th century. The structure sits immediately beside the road, where the carriageway narrows significantly, prompting the council to insist a full closure is required to keep both workers and motorists safe. Read more: The UK’s 10 best farmers’ markets – from Scotland to Cornwall Read more: Construction company plunges into liquidation – in business …