Hobbycraft closes three stores in Britain: sales with discounts of 70% have begun.

According to The Sun: The major retailer has announced a sale with discounts of up to 70% as it prepares to close three more of its stores starting this weekend.

This is yet another blow to UK high streets, but shoppers can take advantage of great discounts while the retailer clears its stock.

Hobbycraft is closing its store in Crawley, London, this Saturday, September 20.

Next in line is the store in King's Lynn, Norfolk, which will close on Monday, September 22, and the Stafford store will cease operations the following Sunday, September 28.

In connection with this, the retailer is launching a sale with significant discounts of up to 70% across all three locations to clear its inventory before closing.

These closures come after stores in Maidenhead and Chichester were shut down on Thursday.

"It's sad"

Shoppers and brand supporters have expressed their outrage at the closures on Facebook, yet noted that some good deals can be found.

One user commented on the closure in Crawley:

“I was there yesterday, items were discounted by 60%, there was lots of art and craft supplies, but they sold out quickly – there were great discounts.”

Another added:

“It's sad that so many stores are closing, if this continues, there will be nothing left in a few years.”

“I am not surprised, there is too much online competition, and they cannot keep prices low enough with the costs of maintaining the building and rent,”

Hobbycraft is struggling

Hobbycraft has been conducting a strategic review of its business since May to find ways to improve its financial performance.

Nine of the most loss-making stores were closed in June, including in Bristol, Dunstable, Borehamwood, and Basildon.

According to the retailer, the restructuring plan aims to secure the future of at least 99 stores and 1800 jobs.

Management is also in discussions with landlords of several other locations.

Hobbycraft's CEO Alex Wilson previously said:

“It is very sad, but the strength of our offering has not made us immune to the challenges faced by retail in recent years.”

“Store closures are always a last resort, and this has been an extremely difficult decision.”

“These changes are unfortunately a necessary step so that we can continue to serve creative individuals across the country.”

Other closures on the streets

Hobbycraft is not the only retailer facing challenges and closing stores recently.

This week, The Sun reported that River Island launched a sale of all products ahead of the closure of one of its stores soon.

This troubled fashion brand will close its store in Showgrounds Retail Park in Omagh, Northern Ireland, as well as another 34 stores across the country.

RETAIL TROUBLES IN 2025

The British Retail Consortium predicts that the increase in contributions for employers will cost the retail sector £2.3 billion.

Research from the British Chamber of Commerce has shown that more than half of companies plan to raise prices by early April.

A survey of over 4800 firms found that 55% expect price increases over the next three months, compared to 39% in a similar survey conducted in the second half of 2024.

Three-quarters of businesses cited rising hiring costs as their primary financial burden.

The retail center also warned that around 17,350 retail units are likely to close this year.

This follows a tough 2024, when 13,000 stores closed their doors, already 28% more than the previous year.

Professor Joshua Bamfield, director of CRR, said:

“The results for 2024 show that while the totals for store closures were not as bad as in 2020 or 2022, they still raise concerns, as worse outcomes may be seen in 2025.”

Professor Bamfield also warned of a gloomy outlook for 2025, predicting that up to 202,000 jobs could be lost in the sector.

“By raising both the costs of maintaining stores and costs for each consumer, we are likely to see job losses in retail exceeding figures at the peak of the pandemic in 2020.”

Shoppers are also taking the opportunity to grab great discounts on items that are perfect for small gifts at beauty retailers ahead of the permanent closure of 62 stores.

The Sun also reported on the worst cities in the UK for store closures this week, where hundreds of stores stand empty across the country.