A retail giant is set to shut the doors on a store that only opened two years ago. They had hoped to offer shoppers more choice, but a lack of footfall has led to an unexpected closure. 

Next is closing down a store in a North Wales retail park. The Next Outlet in Island Green Retail Park, Wrexham, was the retailer’s second store in the city, with the first store located just a four-minute drive away in the Eagles Meadow shopping centre. Vicky Cossins, store manager, announced the closure on social media. She wrote: “We have built a dedicated core of regular shoppers, but businesses need passing trade and Wrexham lacks that a lot of the time. I am incredibly grateful to all of our shoppers and hope that you will continue to support us in the last few weeks that we remain open. I will announce a closing date once it has been confirmed.”

The store manager urged residents to support other shops, bars and restaurants in Wrexham which rely on their custom.

Island Green Retail Park is home to several other national and local retailers, including Smyths Toys, Poundland and Costa Coffee. There have been changes in occupancy in recent years, reflecting shifts in shopping trends. 

The leasing agent of the park is aware of the closure and is hoping to announce a new tenant for the unit in the near future. 

A spokesperson for Next told North Wales Live: “We can confirm that our NEXT Wrexham Outlet store will cease trade on Saturday 20th December.”

The closure of the store highlights how customers opting for online shopping can lead to a decline in foot traffic for even the most established retailers, such as Next.

However, shoppers will be able to grab some bargains before Christmas in the store’s ‘everything must go’ closing-down sale, rather than the retailer’s annual Boxing Day sale.