A POPULAR clothing retailer has suddenly shut its flagship store after 15 years, leaving local shoppers disappointed.
JoJo Maman Bébé, which operates 87 stores throughout the UK, announced the closure of its Cardiff shop earlier this month.
JoJo Maman Bébé’s closure is the latest in a series of departures from Cardiff’s Royal Arcade, which recently lost four shops within weeks[/caption]
The store, open since 2010, attracted customers from across Wales and beyond.
The retailer closed its flagship Cardiff store last weekend, marking the end of an era.
Shelves quickly emptied as the store prepared to close, with a heartfelt farewell message placed in the window.
“We’d like to thank our incredible team and many loyal customers who’ve supported us through the years.
“We hope you continue visiting our nearest stores in Bath, Bristol, and Stroud or shop online. With love, JoJo x.”
Keeley Jenkins, who worked at JoJo Maman Bébé for 12 years, described the closure as “really sad.”
She said: “There are about five of us who work here, and we are a tight-knit team.
“As the flagship store, we have people travelling all the way from North Wales to shop here.
“We have gained regulars over the years, we used to have a colouring table here where children used to come in and colour on.
“Their parents have come in since and shown us how they have grown – it has been a really special and personal experience.”
JoJo Maman Bébé’s closure is the latest in a series of departures from Cardiff’s Royal Arcade, which recently lost four shops within weeks.
Sobeys, a popular vintage clothing store located next door, also shut last weekend.
Meanwhile, Tegannau Albatros Toys in Cardiff’s Morgan Arcade will also close in the coming weeks, though no exact date has been confirmed.
Marika Jones, manager of the Morgan Quarter, said: “We are sad to see these stores close, but we’re excited to welcome four new brands soon, ensuring the arcades remain vibrant and thriving.”
JoJo Maman Bébé is not alone in leaving the high street.
Beales, one of Britain’s oldest department stores, is preparing to close its last remaining store in Poole after over 140 years.
Similarly, fashion retailer New Look has begun closing nearly 100 stores nationwide, highlighting ongoing challenges facing UK retail.
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.
The store, open since 2010, attracted customers from across Wales and beyond[/caption]
The Centre for Retail Research (CRR) has warned that around 17,350 retail sites are expected to shut down this year[/caption]
