Discount chain Poundland will close 44 of its UK stores this weekend.
The business is allowed to open as an 'essential trader' during the third lockdown, but said many of its outlets across the UK will be put into temporary "hibernation" after they close on Saturday.
That will allow the company to focus on its larger stores in busier areas, with colleagues at the closing stores to be put on furlough, the Mirror reports.
It follows an 80% drop in footfall since the start of the pandemic, after shopping centres and high streets were forced to close.
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."
Around 800 Poundland stores will remain open, the company said.
The following Scottish stores will temporarily close their doors from Sunday, 10 January:
- 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
