High street discounter with 187 stores to close branch in HOURS in blow to town centre

Commenting on a social media post confirming the closure one said: “Such a loss to our little town, not only the store but the most amazingly helpful, hardworking, friendly, dedicated team of amazing staff.”Another said: “Sorry to hear it….it’s such a lovely store to potter round.”

T58HJN The Original Factory Shop front entrance in Rustington, West Sussex, England, UK. — The Original Factory Shop is closing a store in Great Harwood

The latest closure is down to the landlord ending the lease.The Centre for Retail Research (CRR) has warned that around 17,350 retail sites are expected to shut down this year.In 2007, the chain was acquired by private equity firm Duke Street Capital.The business ended the year to March 2023 with a pre-tax loss of £286,000.

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They may go on to open a handful of stores if there is customer demand, but there are rarely ever as many stores or in the same places.In many cases, retailers are shutting stores because they are no longer the money-makers they once were because of the rise of online shopping.The company grew steadily, reaching 185 stores by 2011 and expanding its headquarters and warehouse in Burnley to accommodate its increasing needs.The Sun’s business editor Ashley Armstrong explains why so many retailers are shutting their doors.Back in 2013, the chain was valued at over £100million, but more recent financial results showed a dip in both revenue and profits.However, but there had been speculation around the future of the wider business.

Brightlingsea, Essex
Bodmin, Cornwall
Chepstow, Wales
Fakenham, Norfolk
Harwich, Essex
Mildenhall, Suffolk
Padiham, Lancashire
Taunton, Somerset
Deal, Kent
Haverfordwest, Wales

However, TOFS has shut 10 of its shops over the last 12 months and these were located in:Initially, it focused on selling surplus soap produced by one of Black’s factories, offering local communities great value.A spokesperson from TOFS said: “We can confirm that sadly we will be exiting our store in Great Harwood on February 28, after the landlord served a break to end the lease of this store early.In the run-up to the closure, the store has had a clearance sale with up to 50% off.Retail parks are increasingly popular with shoppers, who want to be able to get easy, free parking at a time when local councils have hiked parking charges in towns.

Kirkintilloch – opened August 24
Stonehaven – opened August 31
Blandford Forum – opened August 31
Haddington – opened September 7
Wetherby – opened September 7
Nairn – opened September 14
Ashbourne – opened September 14
Castle Douglas – opened September 21
Penrith – opened September 21
Inverness – opened September 28
Attleborough – opened September 28
Ayr – opened October 5
Ringwood – opened October 5
Perth – opened October 12
Lanark – opened October 19
Peterhead – opened October 26

HISTORY OF THE ORIGINAL FACTORY SHOP

Several well-known major brands have fallen into administration including Wilko and Paperchase.

It became known for offering a diverse selection of well-known brands at discounted prices.In some cases, retailers are shutting a store and reopening a new shop at the other end of a high street to reflect how a town has changed.The brand currently trades from 187 stores across the UK and these are trading as usual.Since then, TOFS has undergone various transformations, including store closures and openings, as it adapted to the changing retail landscape. The British Retail Consortium has predicted that the Treasury’s hike to employer NICs from April 2025, will cost the retail sector £2.3billion.”We are working hard to support the colleagues that will be affected and are seeking to redeploy them across our business.”

What else is happening on the high street?

A third added: “Great loss to Gt. Harwood and surrounding area.”In some cases, stores have been shut when a retailer goes bust, as in the case of Carpetright, Debenhams, Dorothy Perkins, Paperchase, Ted Baker, The Body Shop, Topshop and Wilko to name a few.High energy costs and business rates have hit retailers hard.Here is a full list of stores that have opened since August 2023:What’s increasingly common is when a chain goes bust a rival retailer or private equity firm snaps up the intellectual property rights so they can own the brand and sell it online.This secured the jobs of 1,600 employees and 70 stores – all of which are set to be rebranded as The Range shops.

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A DISCOUNT store with almost 200 branches will close another branch for good in a blow to the high street.Many retailers including Next and Marks & Spencer have been shutting stores on the high street and taking bigger stores in better-performing retail parks instead.

Why are retailers closing shops?

The Original Factory Shop (TOFS) is shutting its branch in Great Harwood in Lancashire tomorrow (February 28).

High street retailers have struggled in recent years as shoppers increasingly turn to online retail.After today, the discount store’s nearest branch for shoppers in the area will be in Clitheroe – around six miles from the closed shop.A deal was then made to sell the business to retail group CDS, which owns bargain chains The Range and Wilko.FOUNDED in 1969 by the Black family in Keighley, the first shop was part of Peter Black’s retail network. Despite the closures, the retail chain also opened 27 stores in 2024 and still has plans to continue its “store transformation” programme this year.EMPTY shops have become an eyesore on many British high streets and are often symbolic of a town centre’s decline.At the same time, the minimum wage will rise to £12.21 an hour from April, and the minimum wage for people aged 18-20 will rise to £10 an hour, an increase of £1.40.Disappointed shoppers have spoken out about the closure of the “lovely” store, which they say has “amazing” staff.In 2023, owners at the time Duke Street Capital tried to sell up through Deloitte, but no deal was struck. This has left some businesses grappling with budgets and having no choice but to close stores to cut costs.Last year, Homebase said it would put 74 sites up for sale after it crashed into administration.The problem is that when a big shop closes, footfall falls across the local high street, which puts more shops at risk of closing.Over the years, TOFS evolved from its humble beginnings, expanding its product range to include clothing, homeware, beauty products, toys, and more.