Poundland is set to close eight stores in Scotland - despite being allowed to stay open as an 'essential' retailer during lockdown.
The budget high street chain is putting stores across the country into 'hibernation' this weekend in a bid to focus on larger shops.
From Glasgow to Dumfries, Poundland shops will close down from Sunday, January 10 with colleagues placed on furlough.
It comes as homeware stores such as Home Bargains, B&M, The Range, Poundland and Wilko were given the green light to continue trading to shoppers during Scotland's lockdown.
The popular stores sell some items considered 'essential', including food and personal care items.
While 44 Poundland stores in the UK will close with eight of those being in Scotland, around 800 will remain open during lockdown.
Austin Cooke, Poundland’s retail director, said: "We learned valuable lessons during the lockdown in March about how buying patterns change as people stick to government advice to stay at home.
"Putting a small number of stores into hibernation helps protect them for the long term and focus our attention on the majority of stores that remain open to serve their neighbourhoods.
"We hope this lockdown is short and we can re-open our hibernating stores as quickly as possible and we remain grateful for the vital support schemes available to us that help protect jobs."
Full list of Poundland stores closing in Scotland
The following branches will temporarily close their doors from Sunday, January 10:
Ayr High Street
Dumfries, Loreburne SC
Glasgow Union Street
Falkirk Howgate SC
Edinburgh Princes Street
Perth St Johns SC
Inverness High Street
Kirkcaldy Mercat SC
