Department store giant John Lewis has announced the news that eight of its stores will be shutting their doors to shoppers for good as a result of 'financial challenges'.
It is one of many popular household names to have been affected during the coronavirus pandemic, though John Lewis says that the stores which are affected were "already financially challenged prior to the pandemic", as it warned they "would not be commercially viable in the future".
Eight stores will be closing - including the John Lewis flagship store in Birmingham's Bullring, and the Croydon branch.
Smaller stores in Heathrow and St Pancras will also be closing, reports the Mirror.
The eight stores affected are:
- Croydon
- Swindon
- Tamworth
- Newbury
- Heathrow Terminal two
- London St Pancras station
- Birmingham Bullring
- Watford
In a statement, John Lewis said: "This is a very sad occasion and one we never thought was imaginable when we first opened these shops.
"Our expectation was that we would trade in these locations for many years to come, but they were financially challenged before the pandemic and we have not been able to find a way that would allow us to turn that around.
"We are grateful to those who have expressed their support since announcing the proposed closure last month, and for the incredible professionalism our partners have shown - they remain our absolute priority and will be fully supported over the coming weeks."
