Closing down: Shops we lost last year...

HIGH STREET DECLINE, CHANGING HABITS – AND THEN THE IMPACT OF THE PANDEMIC – ALL PLAYED A PART

2021-01-05 - By BECKY JONES rebeccajones@leicestermercury.co.uk @JournoBecky

HIGH streets have long been in decline as our shopping habits change and many well-known names have pulled down the shutters in recent years.

That trend continued last year, but 2020 also brought a new set of problems for retailers, large and small, and Leicester’s shopping landscape has endured a turbulent 10 months of lockdowns.

Here are some of the businesses that ceased trading in Leicester last year.

BUDDHA BAY King Street

The cocktail bar and restaurant Buddha Bay closed at the start of the year, having been open since July 2019.

The building is now home to restaurant That’s Amore.

STONEBAKED PIZZA COMPANY

Highcross

This restaurant went into administration in January.

ELEVENSES King Street

Opened in October 2019, Elevenses was closed and put up for sale in January.

It is now home to La Forêt cafe.

HANDMADE BURGER COMPANY

Highcross

Another company that went into administration in January.

Joint administrator David Griffiths said: “The casual dining market in the UK has experienced significant challenges over the past four years, largely as a result of overcapacity in the sector, which has resulted in a significant number of insolvencies.

“Sales at Handmade Burger Co restaurants have almost halved during this period, which has proved to be unsustainable.”

FUTURE CYCLES Market Street

Owner Tim Hudson had been trying to keep the shop going in the face of mounting pressure from online competition and changing shopping habits.

However, in February, he said: “It’s been on the cards for a long time and we tried to fight it off but it’s been bad for the past 18 months.”

FOOT LOCKER

Gallowtree Gate

The branch closed at the start of the pandemic in March and has not reopened since.

However a new Foot Locker store is due to open in Highcross this month.

WHITE STUFF Market Street

The closure, in April, had been announced two months earlier.

A spokesman said: “We have been reviewing the shop’s performance for a little while, but with the economic pressures and the general, well-documented poor performance of the UK High Street, we have unfortunately had to make this decision.”

CARPHONE WAREHOUSE

Highcross

Owner Dixons Carphone announced in March it planned to close all 531 of its standalone Carphone Warehouse stores. The branches in Highcross and at Fosse Park did not reopen after the easing of the first lockdown.

The company still sells through its Currys PC World stores and online.

CARLUCCIO’S Highcross

The Italian restaurant and deli chain announced in March it had entered administration, putting 2,000 jobs at risk.

The directors said they made the decision to place the company into administration “after a sustained period of challenging trading conditions, which have been exacerbated by Covid-19 and the broader issues facing the UK’s retail and hospitality sector”.

YOURS CLOTHING

Humberstone Gate

Signs in the window announced the last day as March 28.

QUEST

Belvoir Street

The board game cafe’s 16 months in business came to an end in March. Husband and wife owners Mitz and Katriona Cubley launched the business following the birth of their daughter in 2017, with the aim that they could work together and blend in family life.

However, things did not work out as planned and they closed the business as it was taking too much time away from their family life.

SELECT FASHION

Humberstone Gate

The last day of trading was March 11.

DEBENHAMS Highcross

Highcross was one of five stores the chain said in May would not reopen after the lockdown was lifted.

In 2019, Debenhams scrapped plans to open a flagship store at Fosse Park.

LAURA ASHLEY

St George’s Retail Park

A brief reopening in June was only for a closing down sale.

The city branch was one of 70 Laura Ashley shops that closed for good. The impact of coronavirus was blamed.

TM LEWIN

Highcross

All of the shirtmaker’s stores shut after the firm went into administration, and was bought by a private equity firm. The business continues to trade online.

THE PANTRY Loseby Lane

Another pandemic victim. Owner Arti Chudasama said in July: “This deeply saddens me to say – unfortunately, The Pantry will not be reopening its doors due to Covid-19.

“This doesn’t mean it’s the end forever for The Pantry, it only means I’m working on another way to serve all you lovely, loyal, smiling customers my homemade vegan food.”

PRET A MANGER Gallowtree Gate

Thirty store closures, including this one, were announced in July, after sales plummeted.

CAFé ROUGE Highcross

In July, this was one of 91 UK restaurants, out of a total of 250 owned by the Casual Dining Group, which had shut for good.

The group, which also owns Las Iguanas and Bella Italia, entered administration at the end of June.

THOMAS SABO

Highcross

The international jewellery brand confirmed in August its store would not be reopening.

A spokesman said it was a “planned closure in line with the

regular optimisation of the store portfolio and business structure in the UK”.

COAST TO COAST

Highcross

A company spokesman said: “The casual dining sector has faced enormous, well documented pressures which have been exacerbated by Covid-19 and the lockdown.”

THE LEGENDARY LAB

St Nicholas Place

Coronavirus claimed the cocktail bar in August.

DW SPORTS STORE AND GYM

Humberstone Gate Administrators were appointed August and UK stores closed.

NEWMAN’S Market Street

Dean Newman, who started the restaurant with wife Christine 34 years earlier, said in August the pandemic was “a bridge too far” for the restaurant, which had already been hit hard over the years by changes in the area.

These included the removal of free on-street parking, the closure of the Fenwick department store opposite and the opening of Highcross shopping centre.

PEACOCKS AND BON MARCHE

Haymarket Shopping Centre

These two Haymarket stores now sit empty.

THE TANNING SHOP

Granby Street

A sign appeared on the door letting people know its fate.

MOD PIZZA

Highcross

Launched in December 2018, its demise was confirmed in September.

ASK

Silver Street

In September, Ask confirmed its Leicester branch would not be reopening – another victim of the casual dining sector’s troubles.