Britain’s high streets are bracing for another wave of store closures, with over 17,000 locations forecast to shut their doors in 2025. The Centre for Retail Research predicts 17,349 shops will close this year, marking a sharp increase from the 13,479 closures recorded in 2024.
Several major British brands have confirmed plans to shut brick-and-mortar sites in February, leaving some with a diminished presence in town centres and hurting the economy.
WHSmith
WHSmith leads the latest round of closures, with four high-street shops set to close next month as part of its nationwide strategy to shift focus towards travel hubs. Fashion chains, pubs and supermarkets will join the stationery giant in shutting down sites across the country, with many targeting closure deadlines by May.
Overall, the stationery and newsagent chain will close four high-street locations in February, marking the latest phase of its planned 500-store reduction across Britain.
Here is a full list of the WHSmith stores closing down:
- Basingstoke, Hampshire (February 1)
- Winton, Bournemouth (February 15)
- Rhyl, Denbighshire (February 15)
- Bolton, Greater Manchester (February 15).
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Full list of February 2025 store closures
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Superdrug
The health and beauty retailer, which operates over 800 branches nationwide, will shut its Bournemouth town centre location just as February’s wave of closures begins.
Wetherspoons
Three sites for the popular chain face uncertain futures as the chain continues its property shake-up into February. The pub chain, known for its affordable prices, continues to evaluate its property portfolio across the country.
Here is a full list of the Wetherspoon pubs that are either up for sale or “under offer” across the UK:
- The Ivor Davies, Cardiff (for sale)
- The Quay, Poole (for sale)
- Sir Daniel Arms, Swindon (under offer).
Sainsbury’s
This year, the supermarket chain is set to close all remaining in-store cafés and food counters across the UK, affecting 3,000 jobs. The supermarket giant will shut cafés, patisserie counters, hot food stations and pizza counters nationwide. However, exact closure dates remain unconfirmed but could happen imminently.
Here is a full list of the Sainsbury’s that are at risk of closing down this year 2025:
- Fosse Park, Leicestershire
- Pontypridd, South Wales
- Rustington, West Sussex
- Scarborough, North Yorkshire
- Penzance, Cornwall
- Denton, Greater Manchester
- Wrexham, North Wales
- Longwater, Norwich, Norfolk
- Ely, Cambridgeshire
- Pontllanfraith, South Wales
- Emersons Green, South Gloucestershire
- Nantwich, Cheshire
- Pinhoe Road, Exeter, Devon
- Pepper Hill – Northfleet, Kent
- Marshall Lake, Solihull, West Midlands
- Rhyl, North Wales
- Lincoln, Lincolnshire
- Bridgemead, Swindon, Wiltshire
- Larkfield, Aylesford, Kent
- Whitchurch Bargates, Shropshire
- Sedlescombe Road, Hastings, East Sussex
- Barnstaple, Devon
- Dewsbury, West Yorkshire
- Kings Lynn Hardwick, Norfolk
- Truro, Cornwall
- Warren Heath, Ipswich, Suffolk
- Godalming, Surrey
- Hereford, Herefordshire
- Chichester, West Sussex
- Bognor Regis, West Sussex
- Newport, South Wales
- Talbot Heath, Dorset
- Rugby, Warwickshire
- Cannock, Staffordshire
- Leek, Staffordshire
- Winterstoke Road, Bristol
- Hazel Grove, Stockport, Greater Manchester
- Morecambe, Lancashire
- Darlington, County Durham
- Monks Cross, Huntington, North Yorkshire
- Marsh Mills, Plymouth, Devon
- Springfield, Chelmsford, Essex
- Durham, County Durham
- Bamber Bridge, Lancashire
- Weedon Road, Northampton, East Midlands
- Hempstead Valley, Kent
- Hedge End, Hampshire
- Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk
- Thanet Westwood Cross, Kent
- Stanway, Colchester, Essex
- Castle Point, Essex
- Isle of Wight
- Keighley, West Yorkshire
- Swadlincote, Derbyshire
- Leicester North, East Midlands
- Wakefield Marsh Way, Wakefield, West Yorkshire
- Torquay, Devon
- Waterlooville, Hampshire
- Macclesfield, Cheshire
- Harrogate, North Yorkshire
- Cheadle, Greater Manchester
Monki
The brand, owned by H&M, will completely exit the UK high street as it prepares to close all its physical stores. Monki, which arrived in Britain in 2012, will shut its remaining five locations across the country.
H&M has indicated that some locations may be converted into Weekday stores, another of its subsidiary brands, though details of which sites will be transformed remain unclear.
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While the dates have not been confirmed, Millets is closing branches
Here is a full list of the Monki stores at risk of closure in February 2025:
- Glasgow (no specified date)
- Sheffield (no specified date)
- Birmingham (no specified date)
- Bristol (no specified date)
- London (no specified date).
Millets
The outdoor retailer is set to close six of its 100 UK stores, with four locations transitioning to become Go Outdoors sites. While specific closure dates have not been announced, the changes represent a significant shift in the company’s high street presence.
The transformation of four sites into Go Outdoors stores suggests a strategic restructuring rather than a complete exit from these locations.
Here is a fulll list of the Millet stores at risk of closure in February 2025:
- Lowestoft (no specified date)
- Douglas (no specified date)
- York (no specified date)
- Grimsby (no specified date).
