September 2nd 2024.
In recent years, there has been a noticeable trend of Clarks shops closing their doors across the country. It seems like this iconic shoe retailer just can't seem to catch a break. Unfortunately, the company has announced that two more stores will be closing their doors this month. The first one, located in March, Cambridgeshire, is scheduled to close tomorrow. The other one, located in the charming North Yorkshire town of Gowthorpe, Selby, will be closing on June 14.
This news comes after the closure of several other Clarks branches over the past couple of years. The latest one was the King Street store in St Helier, the capital of Jersey, which shut down on July 27 after being in business for 24 years. Prior to that, the Stroud store closed its doors in June, marking the end of an era. In total, including the two upcoming closures, nine branches will have closed in 2024. In 2023, at least nine more stores will be shutting down.
The staff at the Selby store took the time to thank their loyal customers for their support over the years. They expressed their gratitude and also mentioned that they will still be able to serve their customers with their full range of products online and at nearby Clarks stores in York, Monks Cross, and Wakefield. For your convenience, we have provided an interactive map above and a list below of all the Clarks shops that are closing or will be closing soon.
The list includes the Grove Shopping Centre in Witham, the Saddlers Shopping Centre in Walsall, East Grinstead, Abingdon in Oxfordshire, Marlborough High Street, Stroud, St Helier, March, and Selby. In addition, we have also listed the Clarks shops that have already closed in 2023 and the end of 2022, such as Kent in Ashford, Gillingham, Murraygate in Dundee, Fareham Shopping Centre in Hampshire, High Street in Inverness, Grimsby, Newport Retail Park, Riverside Shopping Centre in Norwich, Westwood Cross Shopping, High Street in Newcastle, Bicester Village in Oxfordshire, and The Bridges Shopping Centre in Sunderland.
Despite the closures, Clarks still has around 300 stores in the UK and has even opened new branches, such as the one in Newcastle's Eldon Square shopping center, which opened last May. The brand was founded by brothers Cyrus and James Clark almost 200 years ago, in 1825. Their first product was a slipper made from sheepskin offcuts. Today, there are still around 300 Clarks stores remaining across the country.
Unfortunately, Clarks is not the only retailer that has had to close several of its branches in recent years. Pharmacy chain Boots also had to shut down around 300 outlets this summer as part of a cost-cutting exercise. Its parent company, US-based Walgreens Boots Alliance, stated in a financial statement last June that they would be closing "up to 650" outlets within the following 12 months. While these plans are slightly behind schedule, it's still a significant number of closures.
Last year, retail chain Wilko went into administration, resulting in all of its stores closing down. However, the brand was later bought by CDS Superstores, which also owns The Range. Since then, six new Wilko shops have opened in Plymouth, Exeter, Luton, St Albans, Rotherham, and Poole. There are reportedly plans to open around 300 more stores in the near future. Similarly, the Body Shop announced that it would be closing 75 shops in February after going into administration, while Ted Baker shut down all of its 31 stores this year. It's clear that the high street is going through some significant changes, and many beloved stores are struggling to stay afloat.
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