A BARGAIN superstore hailed as ‘B&M meets The Range‘ has announced the shock closure of all of its Scottish branches – leaving shoppers gutted.
Homestore and More is a discount chain that has been praised by shoppers who called it the hidden gem that they never realised existed.
The brand is Ireland’s leading independent homeware retailer and has two branches in the UK, both of which are located in Scotland.
One is located in East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire, and the other at Craigleith Retail Park, in Edinburgh.
It is most famous for its incredibly friendly staff, its kitchenware, which was previously named Scotland’s Best Choice, and its deals on different items for the home every week.
But now bosses have revealed that both of its Scottish branches will close for good in weeks.
Staff at the two locations will pull the shutters down for the final time on Saturday, May 31.
A notice has now been shared online informing customers of its closure.
Really saddened to hear this news. I shop in the EK store regularly and it’s the best staff… Proper, traditional customer care. Really going to miss you
Gutted shopper
The UK Homestore and More website has been taken down and replaced with a notice that reads: “Our UK website is now offline, but our stores will remain open until the end of May.
“Visit our two locations to shop our deals and reductions.”
It is understood that all members of staff have been redundant as a result of the closures.
However, it’s also understood that they are heartbroken by the decision but are also being looked after by the team over in Ireland.
A source told the Scottish Sun that the chain brought its products in from Ireland, but this “wasn’t viable” in the long term.
They added that this led to the shops “not making enough profit”, partially leading to the closure.
Bosses shared a post about the closure with followers on social media today.
And they revealed that both branches have now launched a huge closing-down sale that will run from now until they shut for good.
Customers can expect to see prices slashed by a minimum of 33 per cent over the next few weeks.
The post on Instagram reads: “Home Store + More – CLOSING DOWN SALE NOW ON!
“Our UK website is now offline, but our stores will remain open until the end of May!
“Shop at least 33 per cent off EVERYTHING in-store now!”
Shoppers have been left gutted by the closure, with many flocking to the comments to share their disappointment.
One person said: “Really saddened to hear this news. I shop in the EK store regularly and it’s the best staff and customer service… Proper, traditional customer care. Really going to miss you”.
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.
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.
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.
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.”
Another added: “I’m so sad to see you guys go”.
Someone else wrote: “Gutted to hear that, the East Kilbride store employs some of the best and nicest retail staff in the business“.
A fourth posted: “So disappointed to hear you’re closing down”.
And a fifth chimed in: “That’s such a shame, staff are lovely. I hope everyone finds new jobs quickly”
While a user shared: “Gutted!!!! Loved this shop”.
Homestore and More have been approached for comment by the Scottish Sun.
