A major UK discount department store is continuing its wave of closures, with another location set to shut its doors this Saturday, marking its second closure this month as part of a broader plan to shutter more than 20 stores in 2025. The Original Factory Shop has already closed several stores over the summer, and has also closed its Chard branch in Somerset on Great Western Road earlier this month, on September 7, after 16 years of trading. The next store to close will be the Market Drayton branch in Shropshire on Saturday, September 20.
Other closures, including several branches across England and Scotland, are also set to take place later this year as the retailer continues its nationwide restructuring efforts. The closures follow the chain’s acquisition by private equity firm Modella Capital earlier this year, the same company behind the buyouts of Hobbycraft and WHSmith.
Since the takeover, the retailer has launched a restructuring process, which includes rent renegotiations and the implementation of a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA).
This is a legal procedure often used to avoid insolvency while attempting to keep the business afloat.
Despite the closures, the company continues to operate over 150 stores across the UK and says it remains committed to serving local communities.
The chain was founded in 1969 and has grown into a well-known name in the UK retail sector, offering discounted clothing, homeware, health and beauty products, and household essentials.
