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Poundland closed several stores in 2023 while simultaneously making space for dozens of brand-new sites across the UK.
Now fans of the bargain brand will have to bid farewell to another branch in a matter of weeks.
The high street giant will be pulling down the shutters on its only store in the Borders, Scotland, at the end of February.
A spokesperson for Poundland revealed that it had been unable to either renew the store’s lease or find another site in Galashiels.
Its closure means that local shoppers will have to venture a staggering 30 miles to their nearest alternative Poundland site in Musselburgh.
Speaking to The Sun, a company spokesperson said: “We’re as disappointed as colleagues and customers that we’ve been unable to either renew our current lease or find alternative premises in Galashiels.
“Sadly this means the store will close at the end of February. If we can find the right premises in future, nothing would please us more than to return to the town.”
While the company has claimed to do everything it can to look after store employees, locals have been left gutted by the announcement that Channel Street will be left with another empty shop-front.
The exact date the Channel Street store will cease trading has not been confirmed, but it has already been branded a “sad” loss by Galashiels shoppers.
Many took to Facebook to comment on the news of the closure, with one writing: “It’s turning into a ghost town before long”. Another wrote: “Gutted another shop of Channel Street. Handy wee shop for great wee bargains.”
Others speculated about a “new look shop” opening at a retail park to replace the store, though this has not been confirmed.
However, it is not uncommon for newer, larger shops to replace old sites. In the last quarter of 2023, the brand opened and relocated an impressive 86 new stores in just 70 days.
Speaking previously to Express.co.uk, a spokesperson stated that they had “never opened more stores in [their] history”, claiming that it amounted to “almost a million square feet in new space”.
Elsewhere, Poundland was set to lose its site in the Sailmakers Shopping Centre, Ipswich, but the discount retailer has since managed to save the store after negotiating with the landlord.
A spokesperson confirmed: “We’ve been working hard behind the scenes with the landlord and are pleased that we’ve managed to secure an agreement that will keep the store open.”
