High street shoe store shutting shop for good this week 'after many happy years' and shoppers say it's 'madness' | The Sun

A HIGH street shoe chain is shutting another shop for good after "many happy years".

Clarks is closing its doors to customers in High Street Invernesswithin days.

The store is set to close by the end of the month, although an exact date is yet to be confirmed.

Disappointed shoppers took to social media to share their sadness over the closure.

One Facebook user said: "Many happy years working at Clarks with brilliant people."

Another added: "Literally the only place I buy my shoes."

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And a third wrote: "Shame. There sill be nothing in the high street now."

While a fourth angry shopper simply said: "Madness."

In a statement, Clarks said:“Clarks confirms its store at High Street, Inverness, will close at the end of September 2023.

"Customers can continue to shop from our full range of products online and have them delivered directly to their home.”

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It comes after the footwear chain confirmed that it is closing its branch in Westwood Cross Shopping Centre in Kent.

Several Clarks stores closed earlier this year too, with its branch in Fareham Shopping Centre shutting on August 5 and the Dundee store closing on July 25.

Before this, it brought the shutters down on two stores in Kent in Ashford and Gillingham at the end of 2022.

Clarks was founded in 1825 by Cyrus Clark in Street, Somerset and at its peak operated across over 1,400 stores and franchises internationally.

But as of July 2023, the brand operated 320 stores after battling to keep a presence on the high street.

Clarks brought in management consultants McKinsey & Co to help with restructuring plans after posting a £82.9million post-tax loss back in 2019.

But they were rescued from the brink with a £100million investment deal by private equity firm LionRock Capital.

A  Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) was agreed which saw the Clarks family lose overall control of the company.

A CVA doesn't mean that a company has gone bust.

Instead, it allows firms that have run out of cash to look at ways to save the business, such as reducing rent rates with landlords.

Companies often agree a CVA to avoid insolvency, which can lead to closures or the whole business going bust.

More than 50 stores were set to close following this announcement back in November 2020.

The shoe shop has closed dozens more stores since this date.

However, the retailer has also relocated and opened brand-new shops in recent months.

The brand opened a new store on East Street in Taunton in April following the closure of its original high street store.

Clarks also opened up a new store in Newcastle's Eldon Square shopping centre on May 14.

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Meanwhile, fellow footwear retailer Shoezone is pulling the shutters down on another store in its latest round of closures.

Plus, we've also rounded up all the high street chains closing sites in September.

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