A MAJOR British supermarket chain with more than 2,000 locations is closing one of its ‘prime’ high street stores as part of a growing wave of shutdowns across the UK.
No closing date has been announced, but the estate agent confirmed the lease ends at the end of this year, with plans for a new tenant to be in place by January 2026.
The Morrisons Daily shop in Arundel, West Sussex, is set to shut after an estate agent sign appeared saying: “TO LET: Prime retail shop with upper parts – 867 square feet (80.5 square metres).”
A Morrisons spokesperson told Sussex World: “We can confirm the store is closing and we will do everything we can to help those affected, including supporting colleagues to find other suitable roles within the group and outplacement support where required.”
Morrisons says its Daily stores aim to bring “the quality and freshness you expect” from the main supermarket “right in your local community.”
The company’s website adds: “Our convenient stores offer a wide range of groceries, fresh produce, and essentials, making quick shopping easy.
“With extended hours and convenient locations, we’re your go-to local store for the same great value and service you trust from Morrisons.”
The High Street unit is being marketed by Tod Anstee Commercial, which describes it as a “prime retail shop with upper parts.”
The closure comes as Morrisons continues to streamline operations amid rising costs and changing consumer habits.
Earlier this year, the retailer announced 365 jobs were at risk as it planned to close several cafes, convenience stores, florists, and fresh food counters, saying the services had become too costly to run.
In total, Morrisons is shutting 52 cafes, 18 market kitchens, 17 Morrisons Daily convenience stores, 13 florists, 35 meat counters, 35 fish counters and four pharmacies nationwide.
The supermarket said most affected staff will be offered alternative roles elsewhere within the business.
Other stores are following suit, with major retailers across the UK also scaling back operations.
Poundland has confirmed a series of closures in towns such as Harlow and Bradford, while Tesco has shut several of its Express branches, including sites in Coventry and Birmingham, to cut costs.
Asda has also been reducing the number of smaller convenience outlets and Post Office concessions inside its stores as part of a major restructure.
The closures come amid mounting pressure on high street retailers facing higher energy bills, rising rent costs, and changing shopping habits, with more customers turning to online and budget alternatives.
Why are retailers closing shops?
EMPTY shops have become an eyesore on many British high streets and are often symbolic of a town centre’s decline.
The Sun’s business editor Ashley Armstrong explains why so many retailers are shutting their doors.
In many cases, retailers are shutting stores because they are no longer the money-makers they once were because of the rise of online shopping.
Falling store sales and rising staff costs have made it even more expensive for shops to stay open.
The British Retail Consortium has predicted that the Treasury’s hike to employer NICs from April 2025, 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.
In some cases, retailers are shutting a store and reopening a new shop at the other end of a high street to reflect how a town has changed.
The problem is that when a big shop closes, footfall falls across the local high street, which puts more shops at risk of closing.
Retail parks are increasingly popular with shoppers, who want to be able to get easy, free parking at a time when local councils have hiked parking charges in towns.
Many retailers including Next and Marks & Spencer have been shutting stores on the high street and taking bigger stores in better-performing retail parks instead.
In some cases, stores have been shut when a retailer goes bust, as in the case of Carpetright, Debenhams, Dorothy Perkins, Paperchase, Ted Baker, The Body Shop, Topshop and Wilko to name a few.
What’s increasingly common is when a chain goes bust a rival retailer or private equity firm snaps up the intellectual property rights so they can own the brand and sell it online.
They may go on to open a handful of stores if there is customer demand, but there are rarely ever as many stores or in the same places.
The Centre for Retail Research (CRR) has warned that around 17,350 retail sites are expected to shut down this year.
Earlier this year, the retailer announced 365 jobs were at risk[/caption]
