DISAPPOINTED customers were saddened to wave goodbye to an iconic toy shop after 12 years of “great memories”.
In another blow to the high street, Giddy Goat Toys is pulling the shutters down on their branch in Didsbury, Manchester.
Giddy Goat Toys in Didsbury, Manchester is closing down[/caption]
Shoppers were invited to make the most of a clearance sale across the next 12 days.
The store announced their sad closure on social media, ahead of their final day on March 16.
A 25 per cent discount has been offered to all customers, both in store and online.
“Use code Farewell25 to buy online or come into the shop,” bosses shared on Facebook.
“I’m sorry to have to confirm that Giddy Goat Toys is going to be closing down. It’s been a blast over 12 wonderful years,” a statement read.
“Dates have yet to be confirmed but we anticipate closing our doors on Sunday 16th March.
“I’ll do my thank yous and goodbyes once we get to the end, but in the meantime the good news is there will be a closing down sale with 25% off everything.
“Once it’s gone it’s gone so knock yourselves out.
“Visit our shop or use code Farewell25 online.”
Devastated shoppers paid their farewells to the beloved toy store.
“Oh so sorry to hear this. We still have all the lovely toys we bought for Alice from you guys. Thanks for the great memories! Good luck for the future,” wrote one.
Another penned: “Sorry to.hear that – 12 years though, all power to you for inspiring children with ‘ proper’ toys for so long.”
“I’m so sorry that yet another independent toy shop is closing, I know you will be sadly missed by your customers, sending love and best wishes for new adventures,” a third added.
This comes as a popular toy shop chain, with around 160 branches across the UK, was also forced to shutter two stores.
The Entertainer, which sells toys, puzzles and board games, has closed five sites in recent months.
Its Luton branch in the Luton Point shopping centre served its last customer on January 25.
Meanwhile, its Croydon branch in the Whitgift shopping centre closed on February 1.
Three other branches waved goodbye in Edinburgh, Brent Cross and Haslemere.
Fellow industry giant Smyths Toys also permanently closed its superstore on Churchill Way West in Salisbury last month.
RETAIL PAIN IN 2025
The British Retail Consortium has predicted that the Treasury’s hike to employer NICs will cost the retail sector £2.3billion.
Research by the British Chambers of Commerce shows that more than half of companies plan to raise prices by early April.
A survey of more than 4,800 firms found that 55% expect prices to increase in the next three months, up from 39% in a similar poll conducted in the latter half of 2024.
Three-quarters of companies cited the cost of employing people as their primary financial pressure.
The Centre for Retail Research (CRR) has also warned that around 17,350 retail sites are expected to shut down this year.
It comes on the back of a tough 2024 when 13,000 shops closed their doors for good, already a 28% increase on the previous year.
Professor Joshua Bamfield, director of the CRR said: “The results for 2024 show that although the outcomes for store closures overall were not as poor as in either 2020 or 2022, they are still disconcerting, with worse set to come in 2025.”
Professor Bamfield has also warned of a bleak outlook for 2025, predicting that as many as 202,000 jobs could be lost in the sector.
“By increasing both the costs of running stores and the costs on each consumer’s household it is highly likely that we will see retail job losses eclipse the height of the pandemic in 2020.”
.It’s understood the latest acceleration in closures across the sector has partly been driven by the upcoming increase in National Insurance contributions for employer.
The move, announced by Chancellor Rachel Reeves in October, is expected to hit retailers hard – and the British Retail Consortium has predicted these changes will create a £2.3billion bill for the sector.
And the pressure is being felt across the retail industry.
The WHSmith brand name looks set to vanish from British high streets after 230 years.
In a fresh update, Boots UK also told The Sun that 253 stores have now shut as part of cost-cutting plans.
And, Homebase launched a big closing down sale as two more stores will shut amid 35 closures this month.
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.
However, additional costs have added further pain to an already struggling sector.
The British Retail Consortium has predicted that the Treasury’s hike to employer NICs from April will cost the retail sector £2.3billion.
At the same time, the minimum wage will rise to £12.21 an hour from April, and the minimum wage for people aged 18-20 will rise to £10 an hour, an increase of £1.40.
The Centre for Retail Research (CRR) has also warned that around 17,350 retail sites are expected to shut down this year.
It comes on the back of a tough 2024 when 13,000 shops closed their doors for good, already a 28% increase on the previous year.
Professor Joshua Bamfield, director of the CRR said: “The results for 2024 show that although the outcomes for store closures overall were not as poor as in either 2020 or 2022, they are still disconcerting, with worse set to come in 2025.”
It comes after almost 170,000 retail workers lost their jobs in 2024.
End-of-year figures compiled by the Centre for Retail Research showed the number of job losses spiked amid the collapse of major chains such as Homebase and Ted Baker.
It said its latest analysis showed that a total of 169,395 retail jobs were lost in the 2024 calendar year to date.
This was up 49,990 – an increase of 41.9% – compared with 2023.
It is the highest annual reading since more than 200,000 jobs were lost in 2020 in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced retailers to shut their stores during lockdowns.
The centre said 38 major retailers went into administration in 2024, including household names such as Lloyds Pharmacy, Homebase, The Body Shop, Carpetright and Ted Baker.
Around a third of all retail job losses in 2024, 33% or 55,914 in total, resulted from administrations.
Experts have said small high street shops could face a particularly challenging 2025 because of Budget tax and wage changes.
Professor Bamfield has warned of a bleak outlook for 2025, predicting that as many as 202,000 jobs could be lost in the sector.
“By increasing both the costs of running stores and the costs on each consumer’s household it is highly likely that we will see retail job losses eclipse the height of the pandemic in 2020.”
