POUNDLAND is set to shut two more stores in days as the future of 200 remains in the balance.
The bargain chain is closing the branches in Bristol and Flint on June 20 and June 21, respectively.
The shop in Union Gate, Bristol, will merge with two others nearby in Horsefair and the Broadmead Shopping Centre.
Shoppers and locals have shared their sadness after finding out both the sites will close for good.
Commenting on the Flint closure, one said on Facebook: "One lovely shop and staff."
Another posted: "Oh no I love that Poundland."
Discussing the Bristol closure, one customer said: "Love that shop. Just been in there and (it's) a convenient location."
Another added: "Awww no way."
It comes as Poundland shuts a raft of branches across the UK.
Eight stores have closed since the start of May including in Liverpool and Ipswich, while 12 in total have shut since March last year. Five more are earmarked for closure from June 11.
This is the full list of stores that have closed, or are set to close in the coming months:
It comes with hundreds of Poundland stores and thousands of jobs at risk as part of a rescue deal.
The owner of Poundland, Pepco, is reportedly eyeing up a sale of its UK retail arm for £1, with up to 200 shops potentially closing as part of the process.
Bidding for the business started last month, with Gordon Brothers, the ex-owner of Laura Ashley, and Homebase owner Hilco reported to be in a two way race.
A decision on who the preferred bidder is could be announced in the coming days.
Pepco said it expects the sale of Poundland in the UK to complete by September.
In April, it was reported advisory firm Teneo was drafted in to oversee the sale of the UK business.
It comes after Pepco said it was looking at "all strategic options" to separate Poundland from its brand.
Pepco previously warned that upcoming hikes to employer National Insurance Contributions (NICs) and national minimum wage would significantly add to its costs.
Late last year, it was revealed that profits at Poundland also tumbled by £641million in the year to September, with bosses again blaming slow sales amid a poor outlook thanks to measures set out by Reeves.
A spokesperson also said the huge loss was "due to a non-cash impairment at Poundland that relates to the acquisition of the UK chain in 2016".
The British Retail Consortium has predicted that the Treasury's hike to employer NICs will cost the retail sector £2.3billion.
Research by the British Chambers of Commerce shows that more than half of companies plan to raise prices by early April.
The Centre for Retail Research (CRR) has also warned that around 17,350 retail sites are expected to shut down this year.
It comes on the back of a tough 2024 when 13,000 shops closed their doors for good, already a 28% increase on the previous year.
Professor Joshua Bamfield, director of the CRR said: "The results for 2024 show that although the outcomes for store closures overall were not as poor as in either 2020 or 2022, they are still disconcerting, with worse set to come in 2025."
Professor Bamfield has also 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."
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