B&M to shut popular Scots store as shoppers left ‘heartbroken'

Scottish Sun

6 hours ago

The exact date the store will close has been revealed
SHUTTERS DOWN B&M to shut popular Scots store as shoppers left 'heartbroken'
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B&M has revealed that it is set to close a popular store in Scotland - and shoppers are "heartbroken".
The bargain retailer's busy branch in Musselburgh, East Lothian, will close for good in a matter of months.
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A Scottish B&M store is set to close in months
Credit: PA
The store is located on the city's High Street and has been a staple in the community for years.
But it is set to cease trading early next year in another blow to the high street.
Staff will pull the shutters down for the final time on January 9, 2026.
The reason for the closure is currently unclear.
However, bosses have said that they are switching their focus to the nearby store in Fort Kinnaird instead.
The store has recently undergone a huge revamp and is only a 12-minute drive away from the Musselburgh branch.
Bosses have also revealed that all members of staff will be relocated to alternative stores in the area.
A spokesperson for B&M said: "All colleagues from this store will be offered employment at local B&M stores in the surrounding area after the closure on January 9.
'We're committed to bringing the best possible B&M stores to East Lothian.
"We recently upgraded our nearby Fort Kinnaird store – now home to a garden centre and a much bigger range just two miles away, ensuring we continue to offer the best possible shopping experience and broadest range in the area.'
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Locals have been left gutted by the closure, and many have flocked to social media to share their disappointment.
One person said: "More empty shops. No parking in Musselburgh to encourage retailers. Shame for staff."
Another added: "A bloody disgrace".
Someone else wrote: "Such a shame, it's always busy".
While a fourth posted: "Heart is BROKEN, this is gutting".
And a fifth chimed in: "Shocking news".
It comes after The Sun previously revealed that another B&M store in London closed back in March.
B&M was founded in 1978 in Lancashire, with the first store opening in Blackpool.
The retail chain now has over 700 stores across the UK and employs over 35,000 staff.
And over four million customers walk through the doors of stores across the country every week.
RETAIL PAIN IN 2025
The British Retail Consortium has predicted that the Treasury's hike to employer NICs will cost the retail sector £2.3billion.
Research by the British Chambers of Commerce shows that more than half of companies plan to raise prices by early April.
A survey of more than 4,800 firms found that 55% expect prices to increase in the next three months, up from 39% in a similar poll conducted in the latter half of 2024.
Three-quarters of companies cited the cost of employing people as their primary financial pressure.
The Centre for Retail Research (CRR) has also warned that around 17,350 retail sites are expected to shut down this year.
It comes on the back of a tough 2024 when 13,000 shops closed their doors for good, already a 28% increase on the previous year.
Professor Joshua Bamfield, director of the CRR said: "The results for 2024 show that although the outcomes for store closures overall were not as poor as in either 2020 or 2022, they are still disconcerting, with worse set to come in 2025."
Professor Bamfield has also warned of a bleak outlook for 2025, predicting that as many as 202,000 jobs could be lost in the sector.
"By increasing both the costs of running stores and the costs on each consumer's household it is highly likely that we will see retail job losses eclipse the height of the pandemic in 2020."