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The This Is Us alum's wife, Jarah Mariano, is pregnant with the couple's first baby. The Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model shared a photo of...‘Another one going’ cry shoppers as major retailer with 330 stores to shut branch as fans spot closing down sale
FANS have spotted a closing down sale at a local shoe shop – yet another outlet to shut up shop in the “ghost town”.
The Shoezone branch in Burgess Hill, West Sussex – one of 330 nationwide – was pictured with large “Closing Down Soon” banners.
The pictures were posted on the local Facebook page Burgess Hill Uncovered.
The caption read: “Shoe Zone are not renewing their lease at Market Place Shopping Centre, therefore the store will be closing in the near future. Sorry to hear this for the staff.
“How long do you think it’ll take the agent to fill the unit (if at all!) and what would you like to see come into the centre in its place?”
The post was met with a flurry of 162 comments, with many locals complaining about the number of recent closures in the area.
One wrote: “What a surprise, another one going… just keeps getting worse and worse…”
Another added: “It’s shocking the town is ruined.”
A third commented: “Everything is going to closed in burgess hill it looks like a ghost town.”
One commenter simply pasted the lyrics of the Queen song Another One Bites The Dust.
Others noted that there will be a scarcity of shoe shops in the area following the closure, which is set to take place in March.
One wrote: “Nowhere now in BH to buy a pair of shoes.”
Another said: “That’s really sad… And there isn’t one nearby either…. Probably Crawley will be the nearest one now.”
The news comes following a series of Shoezone closures over the last two years.
The high street chain closed 13 branches last year – including another in Sussex.
This year, it has closed its Watford branch and announced several other closures – including in Stoke-on-Trent and Inverness, Scotland.
High streets across the UK have suffered from decline over the past decade.
Since 2018, 6,000 retail outlets have brought down the shutters, according to the British Retail Consortium.
The trade association’s chief executive Helen Dickinson OBE blamed the closures on “crippling” business rates and the impact of coronavirus lockdowns.
Why are retailers closing stores?
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.
The high street has seen a whole raft of closures over the past year, and more are coming.
The number of jobs lost in British retail dropped last year, but 120,000 people still lost their employment, figures have suggested.
Figures from the Centre for Retail Research revealed that 10,494 shops closed for the last time during 2023, and 119,405 jobs were lost in the sector.
It was fewer shops than had been lost for several years, and a reduction from 151,641 jobs lost in 2022.
The centre’s director, Professor Joshua Bamfield, said the improvement is “less bad” than good.
Although there were some big-name losses from the high street, including Wilko, many large companies had already gone bust before 2022, the centre said, such as Topshop owner Arcadia, Jessops and Debenhams.
“The cost-of-living crisis, inflation and increases in interest rates have led many consumers to tighten their belts, reducing retail spend,” Prof Bamfield said.
“Retailers themselves have suffered increasing energy and occupancy costs, staff shortages and falling demand that have made rebuilding profits after extensive store closures during the pandemic exceptionally difficult.”
Alongside Wilko, which employed around 12,000 people when it collapsed, 2023’s biggest failures included Paperchase, Cath Kidston, Planet Organic and Tile Giant.
The Centre for Retail Research said most stores were closed because companies were trying to reorganise and cut costs rather than the business failing.
However, experts have warned there will likely be more failures this year as consumers keep their belts tight and borrowing costs soar for businesses.
The Body Shop and Ted Baker are the biggest names to have already collapsed into administration this year.
Britain must quit the ECHR as a matter of ‘leave or die’, Tory leadership frontrunner Robert Jenrick will warn
BRITAIN must quit the European Convention of Human Rights as a matter of “leave or die”, Robert Jenrick will warn today.
The Tory leadership frontrunner will blast Strasbourg judges for strangling our ability to deport foreign murderers, rapists and paedophiles.
Failing to cut ties will only embolden Nigel Farage’s Reform which could “condemn us to obscurity”, he will tell party activists.
Mr Jenrick will make the pledge at a non-sanctioned “rebel rally” on the outskirts of the Birmingham conference this morning.
He will say: “The choice is clear, it’s leave or remain.
“In fact it’s more than that – it is leave or die.
“If we don’t do this now, we’ll never restore the public’s trust and there’s every chance that Reform will grow and grow and condemn us to obscurity.”
Mr Jenrick is also agitating for an annual cap on legal migration to bring down the numbers.
Blasting 14 years of broken promises, he will say: “Our party’s survival rests on restoring our credibility on immigration.
“If we continue to duck and dance around this question our party has no future.”
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The Executive Secretary/CEO of the National Sugar Development Council (NSDC), Mr. Kamar Bakrin, has shared the Council’s comprehensive plan for accelerated sugar project development in 2025 with the House of Representatives Committee on Industry. Mr. Bakrin at the weekend said before the 2025 plans and the Nigeria Sugar Master Plan (NSMP) II can be …
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Tottenham slam their own fans for ‘hugely offensive’ homophobic chanting during Man Utd game
TOTTENHAM Hotspur have slammed their owns fans for “hugely offensive” homophobic chanting during their game against Manchester United.
Bruno Fernandes saw red as Spurs cruised past the misfiring Red Devils 3-0 at Old Trafford and increased the heat on manager Erik ten Hag.
A club statement read: “The Club is aware of abhorrent homophobic chanting from sections of our away support at Old Trafford today.
“This is simply unacceptable, hugely offensive and no way to show support for the team.
“The Club will be working closely with the Police and stewards to identify anyone instigating or joining in with the chanting – we shall take the strongest possible action in accordance with our Sanctions and Banning Policy.
“Supporters in attendance today can report anything they’ve seen or heard in confidence to supporterservices@tottenhamhotspur.com.
“We shall be continuing our work with our LGBTQ+ supporters’ association, Proud Lilywhites, to ensure a welcoming and inclusive environment for all fans on matchdays.
“We are justly proud of our superb and loyal support, home and away.
“However, we all have a responsibility to act as ambassadors of Tottenham Hotspur and discrimination of any kind has no place at our Club.”
Jasmine Tookes shows off her sensational figure in tiny bikini as she reveals secret to staying in shape
JASMINE Tookes strips off to a tiny bikini — and lays bare her beauty secrets.
The model, picked by Victoria’s Secret to show off their latest two-piece, credits keeping her shape down to a combination of supplements and exercise.
California-based Jasmine, 33, revealed: “I take magnesium, Vitamin D with Vitamin K mixed in, and electrolyte powder every morning.
“My workout regimen is a mix of Pilates and weight training.
“I love feeling super strong and really toned.”
No doubt her 7½million fans on Instagram, plus the 1.1 million on TikTok, will be glad she’s got that off her chest.
Jasmine welcomed her first child a daughter named Mia Victoria last year.
The model married Borrero, the son of Ecuadorian vice president Alfredo Borrero, in September 2021.
Jasmine, who credits Tyra Banks as her inspiration to pursue modelling, has walked the runway for elite fashion brands including Burberry, Ralph lauren, Giorgio Armani, Marc Jacobs, Oscar de la Renta and Prada amongst others.
In 2012 she became a Victoria’s Secret Angel and in 2016 was awarded the honour of wearing the £3million Fantasy Bra.
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Segilola: Polytechnic students back Osun government
The leadership of the National Association of Polytechnic Students (NAPS) has backed the decision of the Osun State Government on the alleged unethical business practices and environmental infractions against Segilola Operating Resources Company Limited. Blueprint recalls that the Osun State Government had during the week raised serious concerns about the operations of the Segilola Gold …
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