New Look shuts another store in huge blow to high street

After more than 20 years on the high street, this New Look branch will be closing in just days. The store located on Station Road, in Harrow Town Centre will be closing its doors for good on Wednesday September 17. The store has now launched a major closing-down sale, offering local shoppers discounts of up to 70% on a wide range of items before the store closes.

The sign in the store shop window now reads: "Thanks for having us, Harrow. This store will be closing on Wednesday 17th September. Don't worry, you'll still be able to find us at newlook.com with 100s of new styles dropping every week!"

One person reacted to the news on social media by writing: "There won't be any store on high street now. One after another stores are closing down. I am not the online shopping person."

Someone else said: "This is terrible. The rents and rates are too high. We are decimating our local high streets just to make everyone shop online."

The Harrow closure is part of a wider shake-up across New Look's store estate. The brand has already shut a number of locations this year, with at least 14 more stores expected to close in the coming months.

A branch in Scarborough is also set to close on the same day.

New Look's ownership group is reportedly exploring a possible sale of the business. Investment firms Alcentra and Brait, which have held control since 2020, are said to be working with advisers at Rothschild to review strategic options for the retailer's future, Sky News reported.

Despite speculation, the company maintains that it is performing well and remains on track for long-term growth.

In a statement, a New Look spokesperson told Sky News: "Management are focused on running the business and executing the strategy for long-term growth.

"The company is performing well, with strong momentum driven by a successful summer trading period and notable online market share gains."