A number of major retailers and garden centres are closing branches this year, amid a turbulent period for British businesses.

This includes beloved gardening and homeware outlets Homebase, who have confirmed that more than 30 locations will close in February.

There are also a handful of closures on the high street, with WHSmith planning pulling down the shutters on three locations over the next couple of days, and more in the months ahead.

Read on to find out more about some of the major retailers closing branches in 2025. 

Major UK garden centre chain Dobbies has announced its set close three stores this year including two in February. Its Leicester branch closes today (February, 14).

Dobbies’ Aylesbury branch will also close by February 28, with its outlet in Northampton outlet shuttering for good on March 2. The Northampton branch will be taken over by British Garden Centres.

A spokesperson for Dobbies said: “Dobbies Garden Centres confirms that its Northampton store will close. We are engaging directly with colleagues at the store on what the closure will mean for them.

“This follows approval of Dobbies’ restructuring plan in December 2024, which allows the business to focus on returning to sustainable profitability, unlock access to future investment and deliver a strong and well capitalised platform for the business going forward.” 

Meanwhile Homebase scheduled the closure of 34 stores in February, as per TimeOut. It comes after the garden centre chain went into administration at the end of November having run out of funding, RetailGazette reports.

13 stores were also closed last month. However, brand and as many as 71 of its branches were bought up for £25.6m by CDS Superstores, which operates The Range and recently revived the Wilko brand, as per the outlet.

Homebase confirmed that all employees impacted by the closures have been given at least two weeks’ notice about when they will be made redundant, as per Insider Media.

Announced Homebase closures for the rest of the year

• Bournemouth (Winton), Dorset (February)
• Rhyl, Denbighshire (February)
• Bolton, Greater Manchester (February)
• Accrington, Lancashire (March)
• Halstead, Essex (April)
• Halesowen, West Midlands (April)
• Diss, Norfolk (April)
• Newport, South Wales (April)
• Haverhill, Suffolk (April)
• Stockton, County Durham (May)
• Oldham, Greater Manchester (May)

TBC

Major high street retailers are also set to close branches this year, with WHSmith closing three in February alone as part of plans to overhaul the brand’s high street presence.

The stationary giant has previously said it is intending to to focus on expanding its portfolio outside the sector, as per The Sun.

While high street stores are closing, WHSmith’s travel outlets, commonly located in train stations, airports, and hospitals, have seen a boost from the uptick in consumer travel, according to the company.

“The transformation of our UK travel business from a news, books and convenience retailer to a one-stop-shop for travel essentials is progressing very well,” said a spokesperson last year.

Following the announcement of a possible sale of its high street business, a WHSmith spokesperson said: “WHSmith confirms that it is exploring potential strategic options for this profitable and cash-generative part of the group, including a possible sale.”

They added: “There can be no certainty that any agreement will be reached, and further updates will be provided as and when appropriate.”

Branches closing in February

1. Bournemouth (Winton), Dorset (February 15)
2. Rhyl, Denbighshire (February 15)
3. Bolton, Greater Manchester (February 14 or 15)

Branches closing from March onwards

• Accrington, Lancashire (March 15)
• Halstead, Essex (April)
• Halesowen, West Midlands (April)
• Diss, Norfolk (April)
• Newport, Isle of Wight (April)
• Haverhill, Suffolk (April 26)
• Stockton, County Durham (May)
• Oldham, Greater Manchester (May)
• Orpington, Greater London (not specified)

Hollister, which is owned by Abercrombie & Fitch, has said it’s planning to close its Union Square, Aberdeen, branch but is yet to provide a date.

The firm said: “We believe stores matter and we are exploring new store opportunities in the UK, including in Aberdeen, to provide a great shopping experience for our customers,” as per The Metro.

Additionally, clothing chain New Look has confirmed it will be closing its branch in the Welsh town of Porth on February 22.

“We thank our colleagues and the local community for their support over the years,” the firm said.

It added: “We hope customers continue to shop with us online at newlook.com where our full product ranges can be found.”

It comes amid a large number of recent high street branch closures, partly due to the rise of online shopping and other economic pressures.

The latest announcements reflect a trend across the UK high street, with research put out in September last year from PwC showing that 6,945 outlets had shut up to that point.

This equated to around 38 store closures per day – up from 36 per day in 2023.