OFF THE CARDS
‘Nobody is spending money’ heartbreak as card store opened by 17 year old shut FOR GOOD as closing down sale launched
Check below to see why the high street is dying
SHOPPERS are heartbroken after a card store, opened by a 17-year-old, revealed it would be shutting for good.
Imperial Cards in Huddersfield is set to shut down after launching its closing-down sale, with the young owner confirming the news on Facebook.
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The store, located in the Imperial Arcade, is run by 17-year-old Stephen Mallalieu - one of the youngest shop owners in Huddersfield town centre.
Sharing the news online, Stephen wrote: "I am writing this with sadness, but Imperial Cards is closing down at the end of June or beginning of July — no date confirmed yet. I’ll keep you updated when I know more."
Despite the closure, he announced a 30 per cent off sale on all products to thank customers for their support.
Stephen blamed the decision on low revenue and urged Kirklees Council to do more to revitalise the town centre.
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He added: "It’s been a pleasure being part of the Imperial Arcade family, but nobody is spending money in Huddersfield.
"I think Kirklees need to put effort into making the town a better place to shop. I'm 17, trying to do well and make a difference — but it’s not working. Very, very sad."
Stephen's post on social media received several comments from shoppers gutted about the closure.
One user wrote: "imperial cards I'm really sorry to hear it ., you've tried hard but don't give up on your dreams."
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"Congratulations on your first adventure and hope to see new pathways open up for you in the future," commented another.
This closure comes during a rough patch for British retail.
Other high street names like Sports Direct, New Look, and WHSmith have also shut stores or announced downsizing in recent months.
According to the British Retail Consortium, a mix of higher running costs, tax changes, and increased National Insurance contributions are placing a £2.3 billion burden on the retail sector, pushing more shops off the high street.
DEATH OF THE HIGH STREET
Retailers have been feeling the squeeze since the pandemic, while shoppers are cutting back on spending due to the soaring cost of living crisis.
High energy costs and a move to shopping online after the pandemic are also taking a toll, and many high street shops have struggled to keep going.
However, additional costs have added further pain to an already struggling sector.
The British Retail Consortium has predicted that the Treasury's hike to employer NICs from April will cost the retail sector £2.3billion.
At the same time, the minimum wage will rise to £12.21 an hour from April, and the minimum wage for people aged 18-20 will rise to £10 an hour, an increase of £1.40.
Experts have said small high street shops could face a particularly challenging 2025 because of Budget tax and wage changes.
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Professor Bamfield has warned of a bleak outlook for 2025, predicting that as many as 202,000 jobs could be lost in the sector.
"By increasing both the costs of running stores and the costs on each consumer's household it is highly likely that we will see retail job losses eclipse the height of the pandemic in 2020."
Why are retailers closing shops?
EMPTY shops have become an eyesore on many British high streets and are often symbolic of a town centre’s decline.
The Sun's business editor Ashley Armstrong explains why so many retailers are shutting their doors.
In many cases, retailers are shutting stores because they are no longer the money-makers they once were because of the rise of online shopping.
Falling store sales and rising staff costs have made it even more expensive for shops to stay open.
The British Retail Consortium has predicted that the Treasury's hike to employer NICs from April 2025, will cost the retail sector £2.3billion.
At the same time, the minimum wage will rise to £12.21 an hour from April, and the minimum wage for people aged 18-20 will rise to £10 an hour, an increase of £1.40.
In some cases, retailers are shutting a store and reopening a new shop at the other end of a high street to reflect how a town has changed.
The problem is that when a big shop closes, footfall falls across the local high street, which puts more shops at risk of closing.
Retail parks are increasingly popular with shoppers, who want to be able to get easy, free parking at a time when local councils have hiked parking charges in towns.
Many retailers including Next and Marks & Spencer have been shutting stores on the high street and taking bigger stores in better-performing retail parks instead.
In some cases, stores have been shut when a retailer goes bust, as in the case of Carpetright, Debenhams, Dorothy Perkins, Paperchase, Ted Baker, The Body Shop, Topshop and Wilko to name a few.
What's increasingly common is when a chain goes bust a rival retailer or private equity firm snaps up the intellectual property rights so they can own the brand and sell it online.
They may go on to open a handful of stores if there is customer demand, but there are rarely ever as many stores or in the same places.
The Centre for Retail Research (CRR) has warned that around 17,350 retail sites are expected to shut down this year.
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