The charity chain Scope is closing 58 stores: Which other locations will close.

05.10.2025 864

05.10.2025 864

The charity chain Scope is closing 58 stores: Which other locations will close

According to The Sun: The well-known retailer has confirmed additional closures this month, following the 56 closures already completed.

The charity shop chain Scope, which operates in England and Wales, has announced that it will close two of its branches in the coming weeks.

Alamy

Scope is forced to close 58 of its stores across the UK.

The stores in Gillingham Twydall Green and Stamford Hill will permanently close on October 18.

Thus, the total number of closed Scope stores rises to 58.

This decision follows the closure of the store in Alton in August as well as a series of closures in September, including Bishop’s Stortford, Huntingdon, Newmarket, Beverley, and Fleet.

From March to September, the chain closed 50 stores as part of consultations that took place earlier this year.

May was particularly difficult: during that month, 11 stores closed, including those in Exmouth, Bury, and Newport, which closed by May 31.

In June, ten more stores were closed, one in July, and four in August.

The closures in October will not be the last.

The chain is considering closing 77 out of 138 of its stores nationwide.

Debbie Boylen, retail manager for the charity Scope, said: “We do not make decisions about closing our stores lightly. We understand that for our colleagues and volunteers it is more than just a job.”

“We know that they genuinely care about their commitment to our cause - creating an equal future for people with disabilities - and our decision does not reflect their tenacity and dedication to Scope.”

She also added that Scope still has a future on the high streets and that their stores will remain a place where the charity interacts directly with local communities.

Reasons for Scope's closures

Scope first announced in January the closure of dozens of its stores due to declining footfall and rising costs.

CEO Mark Hodgkinson stated at that time that the charity's retail operations “have really contributed to raising crucial funds,” but external factors have “made trading difficult.”

He added: “This situation is not exclusively unique to Scope. All retailers are facing challenges now due to the increase in online shopping.”

“We are faced with rising rent costs, a rapid increase in energy costs, rising staffing costs, and declining purchasing power of the population.”

In its annual report for the year ending March 2024, Scope stated that it received £24 million from its retail business, which is £0.4 million more than the previous year.

During the same period, they spent £24.7 million on maintaining and operating their stores, which is £1 million more than the previous year.

Scope initiated store closures this year to focus on the most profitable outlets.

The closure of several loss-making stores resulted in job cuts.