'Absolute joke' – shoppers scream as major shoe chain with 130 stores suddenly closes shop

SHOPPERS have shouted it's an 'absolute joke' after the 130-store retailer suddenly closed one of his stores.

Schuh has pulled down the shutters on its site at Eastgate Shopping Centre Inverness.

The sun has reached out to Schuh to confirm the branch's closing date and for comment.

According to local news reports, a notice to customers about the closure was posted on the door.

It read: “We are very sorry to say that Schuh Eastgate is now closed.

“Our new store is now in Inverness Retail Park. We'd love to see you there.”

The branch is now displayed as “closed” in the Schuh store finder.

Buyers reacted to it online news that the shop has closed.

one Facebook user said: “Soon there will be no stores in the mall.

“All the good guys are gone – an absolute joke of a mall for a so-called city!”

Another shouted: “Another Eastgate store closing. Worst city center ever.”

A third fumed: “So sad. Eastgate is dying on its feet.”

So far the fourth social networks The user wrote: “No blooming wonder! It's like a ghost town now.”

Schuh is not the only chain to close branches across the UK – the high street has been hit hard in recent months and years.

Figures from the British Retail Consortium show that 6,000 outlets have closed their doors permanently in the past five years.

The trade association said the closure was partly down to “crippling” business rates and the impact of the Covid lockdown.

B&M, Byron Burger, Cinema world, Farmfoodsmadam, Sports Direct and WHSmith are also closing several stores in between until the end of the year.

Meanwhile, Boots is closing dozens of stores.

Several notable brands also went out of business this year, including Paper trade, M&Co and Kat Kidston.

It's not all bad news, however, with a number of retailers opening branches and expanding their portfolios, including Clarks.

This year it has opened eight branches across the UK, including Taunton, Reigate, Manchester and London.

Meanwhile, in July B&M said it will open several new branches for several weeks after a series of closures.