Full list of store closures in April 2025 from Aldi to WH Smith
April is looking to be another challenging month for the UK high street, with dozens of store closures scheduled to take place this month.
WH Smith, Sports Direct and Aldi are among major retailers that have announced they will be shutting their stores in the coming days and weeks.
More than 13,000 high street stores closed in 2024, according to the Centre for Retail Research (CRR).
This year is expected to be even worse, with the CRR forecasting a further 17,000 closures.
Here’s a look at the full list of UK shops set to close in April.
WH Smith
WH Smith is set to disappear from the high street street after being sold for £76 million.
The branches set to close in April include:
- Halstead, Essex
- Halesowen, West Midlands
- Diss, Norfolk
- Newport, Wales
- Haverhill, Suffolk
- Woolwich, London
While five of the stores’ closing dates have not been confirmed, the Haverhill branch will shut on April 26.
WH Smith also shut its stores in Basingstoke, Hampshire, and Winton, Bournemouth, last month.
Beaverbrooks
The popular jewellery brand will be closing three shops this month.
Its Huddersfield branch will close on Saturday April 5, followed by its stores in Croydon and Sutton Coldfield on Sunday.
Last month, Beaverbrooks also closed down its branches in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, and Birmingham Fort, as well as East Kilbride and Dundee in Scotland.
Managing Director Anna Blackburn said the decision came after a review of the business’s performance.
She added: ‘We aim to retain as many colleagues as possible within other Beaverbrooks stores or the wider business, and are working closely with each individual affected to provide them with options for their specific needs, supporting them with their next steps whatever they may be.’
Sports Direct
Sports Direct will shut its Newmarket Road store in Cambridge on April 18.
Its branches in Stroud, Gloucestershire, and High Wycombe also shut last year, followed by its Central Six Retail Park branch in Coventry in January 2024.
Aldi
Aldi, Britain’s fourth-largest supermarket and a budget favourite, will be shutting its Swanfield Place branch in Llanelli, Wales, on April 27.
Unlike other Aldi closures, there are no plans to improve or replace the site, meaning locals will have to travel 30 minutes further away to the nearest alternative branch in Trostre.
An Aldi spokesperson said: ‘Our Swanfield Place Store no longer meets our requirements, and the store will close this month.
‘Our valued customers will still be able to shop and save close to home at our Trostre Road Store, and our amazing colleagues will be relocated to local stores.’
Farmfoods
Farmfoods will be closing its Dundee store on Sunday after a clearance sale.
The supermarket chain has decided not to renew its lease at the site, meaning there will be one Farmfoods left in Dundee – the Lochee branch.
The brand also shut its store in Calthorpe Center, Banbury, in February, before its closure at Greyhound Retail Park in Southend.
The Farmfoods in Knightswood, Glasgow, also shut for good on March 9.
Refill
The popular eco-friendly brand will be shutting its store in Chelmsford, Essex, on April 19.
The shop’s owners said they were unable to recover from financial difficulties and could not give Refill the ‘time and energy it deserves’.
In a statement shared on Facebook, they said: ‘The financial downturn just before we took over [during the pandemic] never recovered – if anything, things got harder.’
The statement adds: ‘Despite the challenges, we’re incredibly proud of what the shop has continued to achieve.
‘We still believe in what Refill stands for, and perhaps there will come a time when a business like this can thrive again.’
A.G. Meek
A.G. Meek will shut one of its stores on Eastgate Street, in Gloucester, on April 12, following a massive closing down sale
The closure will leave the small retail chain with just four sites, all of which are in Wales.
Owner David Meek said Autumn Budget was the ‘final straw’ for the business.
‘From April (2025) our business rates are going up by £5000 a year, the National Insurance increase is also £5000 a year for one branch and the increase in the minimum wage a further £5000 a year,’ he said.
‘I know the Chancellor has a black hole to fill, but the tax rises seem to be targeting retail businesses of our size. They will have much less impact on the likes of Amazon.’
MBAS Clothing
The independent clothing brand will shut its store in Arnold, Nottinghamshire, this month.
The business could no longer stay afloat after its footfall dropped by 70%.
A spokesperson said: ‘Despite huge efforts to entice the good people of Arnold and surrounding areas into the shop, we have not succeeded. Our footfall is as much as 70% down on previous years, and we have to face facts that the shop is not what people want.’
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.