Fashion chain with dozens of UK branches closes retailer on ‘graveyard’ excessive avenue

Yet another chain has fallen victim to the UK high street ‘apocalypse’ as they have been forced to shut their doors.

Weird Fish, sold by Next last year, had opened a branch in Canterbury, Kent, just two years ago but that has already closed. One person reacting online said: “One day there won’t be any shops.”

However, the brand says that the decision to close came as part of a decision by the landlord to ‘redevelop’.

READ MORE: Four more major high street brands shut stores as ‘retail apocalypse’ continues

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A family-run business called ‘The Elder Tree’ is set to take over the unit in the Arcade, and it’s estimated the shop will open towards the end of September, KentLive reports.



The brand says that the landlord’s plans didn’t work for them commercially (file)

A spokesperson from Weird Fish said: “The landlord is redeveloping this unit and the adjacent one, which meant they needed the space back which didn’t work for us commercially.

“We are however very keen to find another suitable site in Canterbury at the earliest opportunity. We also still have a store in Whitstable.”

Even still, doors closing on the high street is happening at an alarming rate. The so-called ‘retail apocalypse’ on the UK high street has rumbled on with the closure of several more much-loved shops.



A spokesperson from Weird Fish said: ‘The landlord is redeveloping this unit’ (file)

Nearly 7,000 store closures have taken place in the UK in the first six months of this year alone, according to the latest market research from PwC, with the problem in the US being dubbed a ‘retail apocalypse,’ according to Mail Online.

The Express reports that retail parks and shopping centres have also been impacted by shops and chains shutting down at a shocking rate of 38 closures per day.

In the latest wave of closures, Homebase, WHSmith, Pizza Hut and shoe shop giant, Clarks bid farewell to beloved branches.

For many retailers, it’s just the start of a string of closures expected this month and beyond.

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High street closures