‘Store closing’ signs spotted at another branch of popular high street store with 240 locations

SHOPPERS have spotted “store closing” signs at a branch of a popular high street store.

The sign has been spotted at Game’s store in Ropewalk Shopping Centre in Nuneaton.

It reads: “Store closing. All stock must go.”

It’s unclear when the store plans to close for the final time.

But we’ve asked Game’s owner, Frasers Group when this will happen.

Game recently pulled down the shutters on its standalone branch in Commercial Street, Newport, Wales, on October 18.

But it reopened inside the Sports Direct unit on the corner of the same street just two days later.

Game was bought out by business tycoon Mike Ashley’s then Sports Direct in June 2019 as part of a £52million deal.

But by January 2020 it had announced plans to close 40 of its more than 300 stores across the UK.

Today, there are over 240 Game stores nationwide. You can find your nearest by using the store locator on its website.

In June this year, closure signs were seen in the windows of a Game branch in Braehead, Scotland, as it geared up to relocate to a nearby Sports Direct unit.

It comes as Sports Direct, part of Mike Ashley‘s now-named Frasers Group, relocates two stores this autumn in Norwich and Newcastle.

House of Fraser has closed four stores this year too, including in Cardiff and Solihull.

A number of other retailers have been closing branches across the UK in 2023.

Why are retailers closing branches?

The cost of living crisis, stubbornly high inflation and energy costs are taking their toll on retailers.

Shoppers have been cutting back spending, while the cost of actually running a store has also increased, meaning some outlets have struggled to keep going.

Figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) this summer found the UK had lost 6,000 stores over a five-year period.

Several major brands have also collapsed and closed stores for good.

Wilko’s fall in August marked the biggest British retail collapse since McColl’s plunged into administration in May last year.

Paperchase collapsed into administration at the end of January this year and all 106 stores closed for good.

Scottish clothing brand M&Co and wellies retailer Joules were among a host of other familiar brands that went bust in 2022.

But shoppers still have reason to be cheerful as other retailers are actually expanding this year.

The Sun recently revealed discount retailer Costco is expanding in the UK and is planning to open 14 more warehouses over the next two years.

Bonmarche is opening at least seven new stores after filing for administration in 2019, while The White Company is due to open new stores in October and November.

Once-huge bakery chain Patisserie Valerie, which also collapsed into administration and closed most of its stores, has started reopening branches, as revealed by the Sun.

Wilko shops are also set to return to the UK high street after the chain collapsed earlier this year.

We also recently revealed bakeries Wenzels, Greggs, Dunkin’ Donuts and The Cornish Bakery are all in the process of expanding in the UK.