Shops are continuing to disappear from British high streets, following more than 13,000 closures last year.
From January to April, scores of shops shut their doors, from Select Fashion to New Look and WH Smith. And it seems the trend is set to continue in May, with a number of businesses closing their doors for good in the coming weeks.
Here are the main shop closures in England, Scotland and Wales this month.
WH Smith
More of the stationery and newsagent’s shops are set to close in May after three stores already closed in March and six closed in April. 17 stores will close in total across the year.
The retailer has faced a huge decline in sales in the last decade due to the consumer shift towards online shopping.
Next on the list to close are:
- Oldham, Greater Manchester
- Stockton, Country Durham
- West Mall, Frenchgate Centre, Doncaster
Natwest
21 Natwest branches are scheduled to close in May, following the bank’s 62% decline in over-the-counter transactions between 2019 and 2024.
The branches set to close in May are:
- Aintree Black Bull
- Allenton
- Basford
- Cannock
- Eanam
- Hollinwood
- Farnworth
- Goole
- Leyland
- Long Eaton
- Louth
- Morley
- Newcastle-Upon-Tyne
- Rawtenstall
- Sheffield
- Trafford Park
- Urmston
- Wallasey
- Widnes
- Wilmslow
- Windermere
Morrisons
The supermarket giant closed 16 stores in April and another is set to close in May. The Haxby branch in Yorkshire will close on May 14.
The closures follow the supermarket giant’s announcement of several moves to “reinvigorate” the company, enabling money to be invested in other areas.
Poundland.
Two Poundland stores will close in May. A branch in Clapham Junction closed on May 2 and a shop in St George’s Centre in Gravesend town centre will shutter on May 8.
A Poundland spokesperson revealed in a statement: “We know how disappointing our closure at Clapham Junction will be to customers and we looking forward to welcoming them to our store nearby at the Southside shopping centre in Wandsworth.”
Lloyds Banking Group
Another round of Lloyds high street branches are set to close in May, following the banking group’s announcement that 136 branches would be closing from January onwards.
Lloyds said the decision to shut the branches was due to customers shifting away from banking in person to using mobile services.
Next on the list are:
- Beccles – May 6
- Fakenham – May 6
- Matlock – May 7
- Monmouth – May 8
- New Milton – May 13
