Popular high street store shuts three more branches – full list

A major fashion chain with 200 stores has “abruptly shut” one of its branches.

High street store New Look has confirmed the closure of yet another shop as a major restructuring ploughs on – with around 600 stores in 2018 resuding to just 364 today.

The New Look Wickford location in Essex closed on Janaury 24, followed by the Bracknell Peel Centre store on January 30.

A New Look spokesperson said: “Our store at Bracknell Peel Centre closed on January 30th. We would like to thank all of our colleagues and the local community for their support over the years.

“We hope customers continue to shop with us online at Newlook.com, where our full product ranges can be found.”

The third location to be affected is Porth, Rhondda Cynon Taf, in Wales. New Look fans can enjoy it for just nine more days as it’s due to close down on February 22.

A spokesperson added: “Our store in Porth is set to close on February 22. We thank our colleagues and the local community for their support over the years.

“We hope customers continue to shop with us online at newlook.com, where our full product ranges can be found.”

This comes after recent reports of the fashion retailer ramping up store closures as more and more leases expire, raising fears of job losses for the 8,000 people it currently employs.

Roughly a quarter of New Look’s 364 locations in the UK could be at risk of closing down after the company reported a pre-tax loss of £3.7 million on sales of £735.4 million, The Times reports.

A spokesperson told the outlet: “Our store estate is an important part of our business, alongside our best-in-class website and app. On occasion we do have to close stores, either due to the landlord’s request or because the site becomes unviable.

“However, we remain on the lookout for appropriate new opportunities across the country and continue to invest in our existing store estate.”

New Look may not be the only high street staple closing its doors, as the Centre for Retail Research predicted 17,350 shops will close in 2025, compared to 13,500 last year.