The clothing and homewares store at 31a South Street has already launched a closing-down sale, with the last day of trading scheduled for Saturday, February 7. Rising rents are widely believed to be a major factor behind the closure, which follows the recent shutdowns of Scope in Jackson Square Shopping Centre on Bridge Street, St Elizabeth’s in Florence Walk, Sue Ryder in South Street, and the Oxfam book, CD and DVD shop in North Street. A Salvation Army spokesperson told The Indie that the closure is a result of the tenancy agreement coming to an end. “Where feasible, we will continue with a shop tenancy agreement, but where that is not possible we will invest funds in other services or areas,” they said. “We are extremely grateful for the support from our customers and donors in Bishop’s Stortford over the years.” Charity shops across the UK have been struggling in recent years due to a combination of factors. Shortages of donations and the rise of online resale platforms such as Vinted have made it more attractive for …