A HIGH street fashion chain has announced it will be closing one of its major branches at the end of the month.
The lifestyle brand has 180 shops across the country after starting out in France in 1988.
The Gloucester Quays FatFace store will close its doors for the last time on February 22.
According to Gloucester News Centre, up to 10 members of staff will lose their jobs.
FatFace first moved to the unit in May 2022 after it closed its previous store in 2010.
Shoppers will be able to secure huge discounts at the closing-down sale.
The shop proudly focuses on sustainability and is a certified B corporation.
FatFace sells clothing for women, men, teens and children as well as footwear and accessories.
The brand’s founders, Tim Slade and Jules Leaver, named the company after La Face – a black ski run in Val d’Isere, France.
Enjoying the seasonal lifestyle, the couple would spend their days on the slopes and sold jumpers and fleeces from the back of their campervan in the evenings.
A FatFace spokesperson said: “Regrettably, we have made the difficult decision to close our store at Gloucester Quays.
“We’re focusing on supporting our store colleagues at this time and, where possible, looking at redeployment opportunities.
[bc_video account_id=”5067014667001″ application_id=”” aspect_ratio=”16:9″ autoplay=”” caption=”Toys R Us and other brands that are making a comeback” embed=”in-page” experience_id=”” height=”100%” language_detection=”” max_height=”360px” max_width=”640px” min_width=”0px” mute=”” padding_top=”56%” picture_in_picture=”” player_id=”default” playlist_id=”” playsinline=”” sizing=”responsive” video_id=”6351810018112″ video_ids=”” width=”640px”]“We’d like to thank all customers who have shopped with us for their support over the years”.
The chain did not give a reason for the closures.
Some retailers have closed a few branches here and there for various reasons, like when a store lease has come to an end.
Other examples of one-off rather than widespread closures is if there are changes in the area, like a shopping centre closing, and in some cases a shop will close to relocate to another area.
Some chains have faced tougher conditions though, forcing them to shut dozens of stores, or all of them in the worst case.
The FatFace closure comes just one month after its store on Ecclesall Road, Sheffield shut.
News of the closure has been met with sadness from locals who used the shop to pick up men and women’s clothing, accessories and footwear.
One recently posted a picture of a closing down sign in the shop window on X, adding: “So sad our local FatFace is closing on Ecclesall Road, Sheffield!
“I hope you are planning to open one in the town centre!”.
Another, posting on Facebook, said: “Another long standing shop closing.”
A third said on Facebook: “It’s not long when they will be all eating places.”
FatFace was sold to fashion rival Next in October 2023 in a deal worth £115.2million.
The May before, FatFace’s owners were reported to have appointed Rothschild to advise on strategic options for the company.
In its most recent results, FatFace said despite a tough economic backdrop it had had a “stable” 35 weeks to January 27, 2024.
It said revenue had declined by around £15million from the same period the year before, but cost savings had seen its profit before trading increase to £17.2million from £16.2million over the same time period.
The business also said it continued to operate as a multichannel retailer with physical stores “continuing to play an important role”.