Trespass, a major outdoor retailer with over 300 branches nationwide, is set to close its doors in the coming weeks. Credit: SWNS/Newsquest
On the morning of August 25, the Trespass store in Peterborough, Queensgate Shopping Centre, will officially cut itsSterling Char Guillotin, the first store to go, will close in July, while Trespass’s Eastbourne store in Wensleyburn Road will be closed in September. Other stores, including the Birmingham store on Minor Road and theingerscross Shopping Centre in Christ Abbey, are set to close during the second half of August. Trespass aims to provide customers with a “everything must go” sale as its branches near its closure date.
The impact on the functional-flexible retail market is significant. This year, six stores are set to close in July, coinciding with the announcement that Trespass, forming part of the Sussex World Group, will rig its branches for final convincing. The final decision on the closing of the Peterborough store, however, is yet to be confirmed.
The closure of Trespass stores will not only mark a loss in the retail industry but also highlight the challenges businesses face as the high street market struggles to adapt to supply chain disruptions and inflation. Meanwhile, other high street retailers are also under pressure. For instance, H&M’s Glasgow store in Buchanan Galleries will close in August following disappointing sales. Other stores, including the University of Thickness in Chesterfield and Workington sites, are expected to go under threat as thececology shifts.
The closure of Trespass stores in August solidifies a previously suspected trend where high street retailers are experiencing heightened competition. These closures come after three years of hard graft, as Trespass and Sussex World Group committed to eliminating all 600 stores across the country. The company, which entered the market in 1978, has already closed a significant number of branches, with 150 stores closing between 2017 and 2023. However, website scans and other evidence suggest that the company could close another 150 stores in the next seven years.
Lakeland, already one of the country’s largest high street retailers, is also preparing to face a downturn. The chain’s Grantham branch, located in Reading, will close in August, followed by the Redruth store in Cornwall closing on August 16th. This trend suggests that decisons over store closures are often not just ones kept secret, leading to widespread financial strain across the functional-flexible retail sector.
