Outdoor clothing brand Regatta, which operates 60 branches across the UK, has announced the closure of its Dundee store, marking another setback for Britain’s struggling high streets.
The Dundee branch, located in the Overgate Centre, opened just over two years ago, taking over a space previously occupied by Oasis. A “closing down sale” sign recently appeared at the storefront, confirming its imminent shutdown and sparking disappointment among local shoppers.
Customers expressed their frustration on social media, with one commenting, “There won’t be anything left here soon,” while another added, “Many more units will be closing soon.”
This isn’t the first closure for the brand. In February 2023, Regatta also shut its Chatham store in Kent, citing declining footfall as the key reason behind the decision. At the time, the company stated that it had not made the choice “lightly.”
Regatta’s move comes amid a broader pattern of store closures across the UK. Major retailers including WHSmith, JD Sports, Sports Direct, New Look, and Select Fashion have all recently downsized operations, further compounding the retail crisis on British high streets.
In January, WHSmith revealed it was in talks to sell its high street division, which dates back over 233 years. With around 500 stores and 5,000 employees in the UK, the retailer plans to close 17 locations in the coming months. High street sales have dropped sharply in the last decade, from £684 million to £452 million. WHSmith now generates the majority of its revenue—85% of profits—from its travel-focused business, which includes around 1,200 stores globally.
Meanwhile, JD Sports also announced it would shut 50 stores over the next year as part of a company-wide restructure. While 150 new locations are set to open and around 100 existing outlets will be converted or relocated, the retail giant, which operates 412 stores in the UK and 4,850 worldwide, expects volatile trading conditions in the year ahead.
Despite this uncertainty, JD Sports still aims to meet its profit and sales targets for the current financial year. However, recent weeks have seen the company’s shares decline, according to reporting by The Sun.
In a similar move earlier this year, Select Fashion confirmed it would close 35 of its stores, significantly reducing its presence outside of London. Affected locations included Southampton, Bristol, Wolverhampton, and Hartlepool. The closures represented nearly half of the retailer’s remaining portfolio and followed a long period of financial difficulty, including its administration in 2019. At the time, the brand attributed its struggles to the challenging retail climate.
With the closure of Regatta’s Dundee branch, concerns continue to grow over the future of brick-and-mortar retail in the UK. As more brands recalibrate operations in response to shifting consumer habits, the nation’s high streets face increasing pressure to reinvent themselves amid evolving economic conditions.
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