Latest news with #KeithStenhouse
Scottish Sun
04-05-2025
- Business
- Scottish Sun
Popular furniture store to close its doors for good in WEEKS as it launches closing down sale
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A POPULAR furniture store has announced that it will close its doors for good in weeks in a blow to shoppers. The Eccentric Leopard specialises in professionally upcycled vintage furniture and has been featured in Vogue Italia and Grand Designs. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 Eccentric Leopard has launched a closing down sale as it prepares to shut for good Credit: instagram/@theeccentricleopard It is based within Necessary Furniture, a charity in Kent that helps to upcycle and recycle unwanted homeware for those in need. But the shop will soon close its doors for good, its owner Kylie Hodge announced in an emotional Facebook post. She said: 'On 25th October 2021, I posted as The Eccentric Leopard for the first time, not knowing what was ahead - just that change was coming. 'Nearly four years later, what a ride it's been… Now, a new chapter begins - I'm proud to say I've just been appointed General Manager of Necessary Furniture!' She added: 'The Eccentric Leopard is ending, but a new journey begins. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for every bit of support.' It is understood that the shop will close its doors in weeks, although the exact date has not yet been confirmed. The shop has now launched a closing down sale with some items up to 30% off. Which other shops are shutting? Several major shops are also set to close stores in the coming weeks. Among them is WHSmith, which shut its Oldham branch in Greater Manchester on May 3. Its shop in Stockton, County Durham, will close on May 17, meanwhile the branch in the Frenchgate Centre in Doncaster will close on May 31. Britain's retail apocalypse: why your favourite stores KEEP closing down The closures come after the retailer sold off almost 500 of its high street shops after being taken over by Hobbycraft owner Modella Capital. The WHSmith name is set to disappear from the high street completely, with the brand instead focusing on its shops and travel hubs. The Entertainer also closed its store in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, for good on May 3. Keith Stenhouse, head of region at The Entertainer, said the chain is looking at shutting standalone stores that are 'no longer profitable'. Why are retailers closing shops? EMPTY shops have become an eyesore on many British high streets and are often symbolic of a town centre's decline. The Sun's business editor Ashley Armstrong explains why so many retailers are shutting their doors. In many cases, retailers are shutting stores because they are no longer the money-makers they once were because of the rise of online shopping. Falling store sales and rising staff costs have made it even more expensive for shops to stay open. The British Retail Consortium has predicted that the Treasury's hike to employer NICs from April 2025, will cost the retail sector £2.3billion. At the same time, the minimum wage will rise to £12.21 an hour from April, and the minimum wage for people aged 18-20 will rise to £10 an hour, an increase of £1.40. In some cases, retailers are shutting a store and reopening a new shop at the other end of a high street to reflect how a town has changed. The problem is that when a big shop closes, footfall falls across the local high street, which puts more shops at risk of closing. Retail parks are increasingly popular with shoppers, who want to be able to get easy, free parking at a time when local councils have hiked parking charges in towns. Many retailers including Next and Marks & Spencer have been shutting stores on the high street and taking bigger stores in better-performing retail parks instead. In some cases, stores have been shut when a retailer goes bust, as in the case of Carpetright, Debenhams, Dorothy Perkins, Paperchase, Ted Baker, The Body Shop, Topshop and Wilko to name a few. What's increasingly common is when a chain goes bust a rival retailer or private equity firm snaps up the intellectual property rights so they can own the brand and sell it online. They may go on to open a handful of stores if there is customer demand, but there are rarely ever as many stores or in the same places. The Centre for Retail Research (CRR) has warned that around 17,350 retail sites are expected to shut down this year. He added: 'We are sad to be closing our Barrow in Furness store as of 3rd May and would like to thank our customers and staff for their loyalty and support. 'We're proud of the service we've offered and are committed to supporting our employees through this situation.' Meanwhile, Poundland has also said it has faced slowing sales, with its profits falling by £641million late last year. It has been forced to close several stores and its owner Pepco has been looking at a potential sale of the business. Its store in Liverpool's Belle Vale Shopping Centre is set to shut on May 6. A spokesperson for Poundland said the store had been served notice on its lease. Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@ Plus, you can join our Sun Money Chats and Tips Facebook group to share your tips and stories
The Sun
04-05-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Popular furniture store to close its doors for good in WEEKS as it launches closing down sale
A POPULAR furniture store has announced that it will close its doors for good in weeks in a blow to shoppers. The Eccentric Leopard specialises in professionally upcycled vintage furniture and has been featured in Vogue Italia and Grand Designs. It is based within Necessary Furniture, a charity in Kent that helps to upcycle and recycle unwanted homeware for those in need. But the shop will soon close its doors for good, its owner Kylie Hodge announced in an emotional Facebook post. She said: 'On 25th October 2021, I posted as The Eccentric Leopard for the first time, not knowing what was ahead - just that change was coming. 'Nearly four years later, what a ride it's been… Now, a new chapter begins - I'm proud to say I've just been appointed General Manager of Necessary Furniture!' She added: 'The Eccentric Leopard is ending, but a new journey begins. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for every bit of support.' It is understood that the shop will close its doors in weeks, although the exact date has not yet been confirmed. The shop has now launched a closing down sale with some items up to 30% off. Which other shops are shutting? Several major shops are also set to close stores in the coming weeks. Among them is WHSmith, which shut its Oldham branch in Greater Manchester on May 3. Its shop in Stockton, County Durham, will close on May 17, meanwhile the branch in the Frenchgate Centre in Doncaster will close on May 31. Britain's retail apocalypse: why your favourite stores KEEP closing down The closures come after the retailer sold off almost 500 of its high street shops after being taken over by Hobbycraft owner Modella Capital. The WHSmith name is set to disappear from the high street completely, with the brand instead focusing on its shops and travel hubs. The Entertainer also closed its store in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, for good on May 3. Keith Stenhouse, head of region at The Entertainer, said the chain is looking at shutting standalone stores that are 'no longer profitable'. Why are retailers closing shops? EMPTY shops have become an eyesore on many British high streets and are often symbolic of a town centre's decline. The Sun's business editor Ashley Armstrong explains why so many retailers are shutting their doors. In many cases, retailers are shutting stores because they are no longer the money-makers they once were because of the rise of online shopping. Falling store sales and rising staff costs have made it even more expensive for shops to stay open. The British Retail Consortium has predicted that the Treasury's hike to employer NICs from April 2025, will cost the retail sector £2.3billion. At the same time, the minimum wage will rise to £12.21 an hour from April, and the minimum wage for people aged 18-20 will rise to £10 an hour, an increase of £1.40. In some cases, retailers are shutting a store and reopening a new shop at the other end of a high street to reflect how a town has changed. The problem is that when a big shop closes, footfall falls across the local high street, which puts more shops at risk of closing. Retail parks are increasingly popular with shoppers, who want to be able to get easy, free parking at a time when local councils have hiked parking charges in towns. Many retailers including Next and Marks & Spencer have been shutting stores on the high street and taking bigger stores in better-performing retail parks instead. In some cases, stores have been shut when a retailer goes bust, as in the case of Carpetright, Debenhams, Dorothy Perkins, Paperchase, Ted Baker, The Body Shop, Topshop and Wilko to name a few. What's increasingly common is when a chain goes bust a rival retailer or private equity firm snaps up the intellectual property rights so they can own the brand and sell it online. They may go on to open a handful of stores if there is customer demand, but there are rarely ever as many stores or in the same places. The Centre for Retail Research (CRR) has warned that around 17,350 retail sites are expected to shut down this year. He added: 'We are sad to be closing our Barrow in Furness store as of 3rd May and would like to thank our customers and staff for their loyalty and support. 'We're proud of the service we've offered and are committed to supporting our employees through this situation.' Meanwhile, Poundland has also said it has faced slowing sales, with its profits falling by £641million late last year. It has been forced to close several stores and its owner Pepco has been looking at a potential sale of the business. Its store in Liverpool's Belle Vale Shopping Centre is set to shut on May 6. A spokesperson for Poundland said the store had been served notice on its lease. .
Scottish Sun
03-05-2025
- Business
- Scottish Sun
Britain's biggest toy chain with over 160 UK stores to close town centre site for good TODAY
It has made charitable donations and has been praised as a 'community asset' PLAY TIME'S OVER Britain's biggest toy chain with over 160 UK stores to close town centre site for good TODAY Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A MAJOR UK toy chain is closing the doors to one its town centre stores for the last time today. The Entertainer is ceasing operation of its outlet in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria from today. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 The Entertainer's Barrow-in-Furness outlet first opened in 2017 Credit: Google Maps The store has been one of The Entertainers more than 160 stores in the UK, which took over from an Argos eight years ago. Staff and customers have expressed their disappointment in the stores closure. Keith Stenhouse, Head of Region at The Entertainer, shared his regret: "We are sad to be closing our Barrow in Furness store as of 3rd May and would like to thank our customers and staff for their loyalty and support. "We're proud of the service we've offered and are committed to supporting our employees through this situation." He explained that it was a necessary decision from the company to shut down standalone stores that were "no longer profitable". This particular Entertainer store in Cumbria gained notoriety in the past due to the large donations it has made to charity, The Mail reports. It gave away large amounts of toys to the children's ward of Furness General Hospital during Christmas the year it opened. The company has also made large donations to local charities, and was involved in Barrow BID, a group working to revitalise the town centre. Taking to social media, shoppers reacted to the announcement of the scores closure. One wrote: "Staff where brilliant I wish them every bit of luck in future as they always where very interactive with the kids it's such a shame." Aldi shoppers race to the Middle Aisle to grab kid's toys Another added: "It's a shame I always go here with grandson." A third also posted: "It's such a shame it's a lovely shop for the kiddies and it's in town which is so important." John Edwards, who managed the store for a number of years, also expressed he was "incredibly sad" to see its closure, calling the site an "asset" to the community. John added: "It was always important to me it wasn't just a shop, it had to be an experience and be somewhere kids were excited to go - it's a huge shame to lose that." This closure is among a number of stores that have been shuttered by The Entertainer in the past six months. Other include outlets in Cameron Toll, Edinburgh, and Croydon, south London. In January, its branch in Luton Point shopping centre shut for good, much to the dismay of the loca community. One reacted to the news and said: "Luton is on its knees." Andrew Murphy OBE, group chief executive at The Entertainer, explained the store had closed after its lease agreement came to an end. Speaking at the time of the closure, he said: "Like most large national retailers, we continuously assess potential new locations while deciding whether to renew those shops which have reached the end of their lease arrangements."
The Sun
03-05-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Britain's biggest toy chain with over 160 UK stores to close town centre site for good TODAY
A MAJOR UK toy chain is closing the doors to one its town centre stores for the last time today. The Entertainer is ceasing operation of its outlet in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria from today. 1 The store has been one of The Entertainers more than 160 stores in the UK, which took over from an Argos eight years ago. Staff and customers have expressed their disappointment in the stores closure. Keith Stenhouse, Head of Region at The Entertainer, shared his regret: "We are sad to be closing our Barrow in Furness store as of 3rd May and would like to thank our customers and staff for their loyalty and support. "We're proud of the service we've offered and are committed to supporting our employees through this situation." He explained that it was a necessary decision from the company to shut down standalone stores that were "no longer profitable". This particular Entertainer store in Cumbria gained notoriety in the past due to the large donations it has made to charity, The Mail reports. It gave away large amounts of toys to the children's ward of Furness General Hospital during Christmas the year it opened. The company has also made large donations to local charities, and was involved in Barrow BID, a group working to revitalise the town centre. Taking to social media, shoppers reacted to the announcement of the scores closure. One wrote: "Staff where brilliant I wish them every bit of luck in future as they always where very interactive with the kids it's such a shame." Aldi shoppers race to the Middle Aisle to grab kid's toys Another added: "It's a shame I always go here with grandson." A third also posted: "It's such a shame it's a lovely shop for the kiddies and it's in town which is so important." John Edwards, who managed the store for a number of years, also expressed he was "incredibly sad" to see its closure, calling the site an "asset" to the community. John added: "It was always important to me it wasn't just a shop, it had to be an experience and be somewhere kids were excited to go - it's a huge shame to lose that." This closure is among a number of stores that have been shuttered by The Entertainer in the past six months. Other include outlets in Cameron Toll, Edinburgh, and Croydon, south London. In January, its branch in Luton Point shopping centre shut for good, much to the dismay of the loca community. Andrew Murphy OBE, group chief executive at The Entertainer, explained the store had closed after its lease agreement came to an end. Speaking at the time of the closure, he said: "Like most large national retailers, we continuously assess potential new locations while deciding whether to renew those shops which have reached the end of their lease arrangements." 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."
Daily Mirror
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
'So sad' say shoppers as major toy retailer set to close store this weekend
The store in Barrow-in-Furness had taken over a former Argos unit in the town centre in 2017 - but it will close for good on May 3 Toy chain The Entertainer is set to close one of its stores this weekend. The retailer is pulling down the shutters on its Barrow-in-Furness branch on May 3. The store in Barrow had taken over a former Argos unit in the town centre in 2017. Shoppers have reacted with sadness about the news on social media. One person said: "Staff where brilliant I wish them every bit of luck in future as they always where very interactive with the kids it's such a shame." Another said: "It's a shame I always go here with grandson." A third posted: "So sad they also showed kids how to use toys before they buy them." A fourth said: "It's such a shame it's a lovely shop for the kiddies and it's in town which is so important." Keith Stenhouse, Head of Region at The Entertainer, said: "We are sad to be closing our Barrow-in-Furness store as of 3rd May and would like to thank our customers and staff for their loyalty and support. We're proud of the service we've offered and are committed to supporting our employees through this situation." John Edwards, who was a manager at the store for a number of years, said: "It was always important to me it wasn't just a shop, it had to be an experience and be somewhere kids were excited to go - it's a huge shame to lose that." The Entertainer, which has around 160 stores, isn't the only retailer to be closing shops in recent months. It comes after gaming chain Geek Retreat announced it was shutting its Bristol branch in order to focus on its Newport store. Geek Retreat opened its first store in Glasgow in 2013 and had as many as 57 outlets in its heyday. This figure now sits at just 21, according to the Geek Retreat website. Geek Retreat manager Liam said: 'After a lot of thought, I've made the tough decision to close the Bristol store. When I took on both Bristol and Newport, I genuinely believed I could give both sites the time and attention they deserved – even with 30 miles between them." Furniture store Room Perfected in Manchester announced it is temporary closing for a refurbishment, and launched an Easter weekend sale with up to 40% off. The discounts include coffee tables, dining chairs, rugs, mirrors and accessories, as well as accent furniture, vases and ornaments and marble and quartz side tables. Mike Seddon of Room Perfected said the store is being upgraded following feedback from customers. The Room Perfected website will continue to run while the store upgrade is happening. Mr Seddon said: "When the refitted showroom reopens, Room Perfected will be THE place to find quality furniture in Greater Manchester with a focus on style and design. "The new aim is to offer you much more bang for your money (or buck) so you can get the designer look for a lot less £'s, with awesome daily and weekly deals for in-store customers. Our new ranges and prices will be totally irresistible so watch this space for more announcements.'
