SHOPPERS have shared their devastation after a beloved toy retailer has revealed it will close one of its branches in a matter of weeks.
The Entertainer, which has 160 branches across the UK, will permanently shutter its branch in Croydon’s Whitgift shopping centre.
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A closing-down sale has already been launched with the retailer offering 25% off its products.
In a post shared on social media, locals expressed their sadness at the toy store’s departure.
One local said: “What a derelict place Croydon High Street has become.”
“Another one bites the dust,” said a second.
Paul Hardy, head of region at The Entertainer, confirmed to The Sun that the store would close for good on February 1.
He explained that the toy store has been asked to shutter due as a “requirement of the landlord” for the “proposed redevelopment of the Whitgift Shopping Centre”.
“We’re proud of the service we’ve offered and are committed to supporting our employees through this situation,” he added.
In 2013, retail giant Westfield and property developer Hammerson entered a joint venture for a £1.4billion redevelopment of the Whitgift Centre and the neighbouring Centrale shopping centre.
The project was aimed at transforming the site into a major shopping and leisure destination but faced a number of delays and financial hurdles.
In 2023, Westfield acquired the remaining 50% stake in the redevelopment from Hammerson.
The retail group still has plans to transform the development and is running a public consultation this year ahead of submitting a planning application.
The closure will be another blow for Croydon locals who just waved goodbye to a Boots store which was located on 1 Central Parade in New Addington.
The popular pharmacy closed for good on December 7.
As for The Entertainer, its departure from the Croydon shopping centre will mark its second closure in a matter of months.
Before Christmas, it confirmed it would permanently close its outlet at the Cameron Toll shopping centre in Edinburgh on January 4.
OTHER SHOP CLOSURES
Plenty of other retailers are closing stores across the high street as households lean more towards online shopping and amid high business rates.
Soaring inflation in recent years has also dented shoppers’ pockets.
The Centre for Retail Research’s latest analysis suggests 13,479 stores, the equivalent of 37 each day, shut for good in 2024.
Of those, 11,341 were independent shops while 2,138 were shut by larger retailers.
The data also showed over half the stores that closed last year were shut due to the store or retailer going through insolvency proceedings.
This is when formal measures are taken to deal with tackling a business‘s debt.
Retailers are shutting stores in 2025 too.
The Body Shop is pulling down the shutters on five branches on January 15 in Exeter, Plymouth, Horsham, Norwich and Sheffield.
Three other branches have already closed in Cambridge and Hove.
Stationer WHSmith is closing a branch in Bournemouth on January 15 while Monki has announced plans to shut seven stores this year.
All in all, the Centre for Retail Research estimates more stores will close this year than last.
It predicts around 17,350 sites to close for good, made up of around 14,660 independent shops.
Why are retailers closing stores?
RETAILERS have been feeling the squeeze since the pandemic, while shoppers are cutting back on spending due to the soaring cost of living crisis.
High energy costs and a move to shopping online after the pandemic are also taking a toll, and many high street shops have struggled to keep going.
The high street has seen a whole raft of closures over the past year, and more are coming.
The number of jobs lost in British retail dropped last year, but 120,000 people still lost their employment, figures have suggested.
Figures from the Centre for Retail Research revealed that 10,494 shops closed for the last time during 2023, and 119,405 jobs were lost in the sector.
It was fewer shops than had been lost for several years, and a reduction from 151,641 jobs lost in 2022.
The centre’s director, Professor Joshua Bamfield, said the improvement is “less bad” than good.
Although there were some big-name losses from the high street, including Wilko, many large companies had already gone bust before 2022, the centre said, such as Topshop owner Arcadia, Jessops and Debenhams.
“The cost-of-living crisis, inflation and increases in interest rates have led many consumers to tighten their belts, reducing retail spend,” Prof Bamfield said.
“Retailers themselves have suffered increasing energy and occupancy costs, staff shortages and falling demand that have made rebuilding profits after extensive store closures during the pandemic exceptionally difficult.”
Alongside Wilko, which employed around 12,000 people when it collapsed, 2023’s biggest failures included Paperchase, Cath Kidston, Planet Organic and Tile Giant.
The Centre for Retail Research said most stores were closed because companies were trying to reorganise and cut costs rather than the business failing.
However, experts have warned there will likely be more failures this year as consumers keep their belts tight and borrowing costs soar for businesses.
The Body Shop and Ted Baker are the biggest names to have already collapsed into administration this year.
