Popular high street brand with 120 UK stores announces sudden closure | UK | News
An iconic British shoe chain has closed one of its long-standing stores, dealing a fresh blow to the UK high street as retailers continue to face increasing economic pressure. Schuh, one of the country’s best-known shoe brands with more than 120 stores across the UK, closed its branch within the Eden Shopping Center in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, on Saturday.
The closure comes just a week after the retailer announced the store was closing and launched a massive discount sale to sell off remaining stock. In the last days of shopping, shoppers were offered Nike, Adidas and Dr. Significant discounts were offered on popular brands such as Martens.
Last weekend, a notice was posted in the store window informing customers that the site would be shutting down for good. Staff spent the last few days helping customers find last-minute deals before the store’s doors closed on Saturday evening.
One customer praised staff at the High Wycombe branch, writing online: “Just to say how wonderful the staff at the High Wycombe store are.
“I also want to thank Maddie for handling my broken pair of Birkenstocks with five-star customer service. What an asset Maddie is to the company.”
Schuh confirmed High Wycombe had closed, while nearby stores in Reading, Watford and Oxford remained open and continue to trade as normal. The company has not announced any further closures at this stage.
The move comes at a challenging time for traditional high street retailers, many of whom are struggling with rising rents, energy costs and competition from online shopping.
In some cases, retailers have been forced to close after landlords refused to renew their leases.
Schuh’s closure follows similar announcements from other national chains. Jewelery retailer Beaverbrooks recently confirmed it will close its High Wycombe site after 17 years in the city; as part of a wider review in which seven stores across the country are expected to close.
Local business owners say the closures are a worrying sign for High Wycombe’s retail sector, where many independent shops have also closed in recent months.
The closure of the Schuh branch marks the end of an era for one of Eden Shopping Centre’s longest-serving stores and is another reminder of the challenges facing Britain’s high streets in 2025.
