A POPULAR pet store is poised to pull down the shutters for good – but not all is bad news.
Pet Supermarket announced a massive sale to clear the shelves after the retailer announced it would close its Gateshead branch for good.
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It said the estimated closing date is 17th May.
The retailer posted a slew of pictures showing all the current products on sale.
This includes toys, dog coats, beds, leads, collars, harnesses, cat posts, fish and reptile accessories and much more, according to the seller.
Pet Supermarket wrote in a post: “See anything below you like the look of? Why not pop down and take a look, everything must go!”
But it’s not all bad news.
Pet Supermarket revealed that they are relocating to Middlesbrough, so fans living in the area can shop for their furry animals.
It comes after locals were left gutted after their beloved pet store closed down after more than five decades.
White’s Pet Centre, which has been trading on the high street in Sydenham, was forced to shut its doors amid the cost of living crisis.
First opening its doors more than 50 years ago, Whites Pet Centre was a corn merchant selling pet food and quickly became the area’s go-to store for animal supplies.
A spokesperson from Lewisham Council said: “We are sad to learn of this business closing in Sydenham, which has provided services to the community.
“Our officers and local Councillors visited Whites on Tuesday, August 13 to hear their concerns, and take this feedback on board. While the council has some influence on our high streets, the council does not have direct control on what businesses can open on our high streets.
“These are commercial relationships between tenants and landlords. The council has the ability to categorise high street units through UK Planning Law into ‘use classes’, but these are very broad and permit a wide range of businesses without the need to seek permission from the council.
“The business owner would have received advice from Lewisham Council that using additional space outside the premises could be considered as part of the rateable value assessment and lead to an increase in business rates.”
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.
However, additional costs have added further pain to an already struggling sector.
The British Retail Consortium has predicted that the Treasury’s hike to employer NICs from April will cost the retail sector £2.3billion.
At the same time, the minimum wage will rise to £12.21 an hour from April, and the minimum wage for people aged 18-20 will rise to £10 an hour, an increase of £1.40.
The Centre for Retail Research (CRR) has also warned that around 17,350 retail sites are expected to shut down this year.
It comes on the back of a tough 2024 when 13,000 shops closed their doors for good, already a 28% increase on the previous year.
Professor Joshua Bamfield, director of the CRR said: “The results for 2024 show that although the outcomes for store closures overall were not as poor as in either 2020 or 2022, they are still disconcerting, with worse set to come in 2025.”
It comes after almost 170,000 retail workers lost their jobs in 2024.
End-of-year figures compiled by the Centre for Retail Research showed the number of job losses spiked amid the collapse of major chains such as Homebase and Ted Baker.
It said its latest analysis showed that a total of 169,395 retail jobs were lost in the 2024 calendar year to date.
This was up 49,990 – an increase of 41.9% – compared with 2023.
It is the highest annual reading since more than 200,000 jobs were lost in 2020 in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced retailers to shut their stores during lockdowns.
The centre said 38 major retailers went into administration in 2024, including household names such as Lloyds Pharmacy, Homebase, The Body Shop, Carpetright and Ted Baker.
Around a third of all retail job losses in 2024, 33% or 55,914 in total, resulted from administrations.
Experts have said small high street shops could face a particularly challenging 2025 because of Budget tax and wage changes.
Professor Bamfield has warned of a bleak outlook for 2025, predicting that as many as 202,000 jobs could be lost in the sector.
“By increasing both the costs of running stores and the costs on each consumer’s household it is highly likely that we will see retail job losses eclipse the height of the pandemic in 2020.”
Which other retailers have closed shops?
Rising costs, a shift to online shopping and a dip in consumer confidence have all impacted retailers, with even established names shuttering sites.
Well-known sites Wilko and Paperchase have collapsed in recent years, while Homebase saw many stores close after it was sold out of administration.
Health and beauty chain Boots is set to shut 10 stores in the coming weeks as part of wider plans to reduce its UK portfolio by 300 sites.
Meanwhile JD Sports has confirmed it will shut down 50 stores next year.
Plus, New Look has decided to axe nearly 100 branches as it battles challenges linked to the Autumn Budget tax changes.
