00:00The North East is witnessing a new wave of high street closures this summer, as major retailers from fashion to finance pull out of town centres, leaving empty shopfronts and growing concerns about the region's economic future.
00:13At least a dozen closures have been confirmed or are imminent across the North East, part of a national trend that is seeing traditional retail give way to online shopping, out-of-town retail parks and changing consumer habits in the wake of the pandemic.
00:26Among the latest casualties is Matterland just off Gateshead High Street, which is closing its current store to make way for a new discount retail concept.
00:35Though the site is not being abandoned entirely, the shift reflects a broader repositioning within the retail sector, as consumers increasingly seek value-driven shopping during the ongoing cost-of-living crisis.
00:47Poundland is also scaling back operations in the region, with stores in Cramlin and Hesseam, Sunderland, Thornaby, Newcastle and Peterley all closing in August, six closures in total.
01:00The discount chain, often seen as a lifeline for budget-conscious shoppers, says the move is part of a strategic review, though many locals view it as yet another blow to already struggling high streets.
01:12Fashion retailer River Island is closing stores in Hartlepool in Stockton, removing a familiar presence from two town centres, where clothing chains have steadily disappeared over the past decade.
01:25Banking is not immune either, Santander branches in Blythe and Whitley Bay are shutting, further accelerating the long-running decline of in-person banking and raising concerns about accessibility for older or less digitally illiterate consumers.
01:39Meanwhile, a game in the Metro Centre is due to close on the 7th of September, as part of a broader national closure programme by the gaming retailer.
01:48Closing down signs have already appeared in the Newcastle branch, with other stores in the south of England expected to follow.
01:55Perhaps most worrying is the news that Clare's Accessories has gone into administration, putting seven stores across the North East at risk of closure.
02:04The popular High Street brand had long been a staple of UK shopping centres.
02:09With another wave of closures across the region, what do locals predict will be the future of High Streets in a few years to come?
02:16I feel like they'll be a lot less popular, because more people do online shopping now, so I feel like loads of shops are going to go bankrupt like Clare's, because no one shops there anymore, because they're all going on fast fashion websites.
02:27Yeah, yeah, but the thing is though, it's a good thing that they are closing, but also not, because obviously people need jobs, but also the fact that Clare's and all that stuff, proper fast fashion is killing the planet, so overall it will be better for the planet, I feel.
02:39I would if it was there, but I was just practically disappeared, and yeah, it's really difficult, you just have to go online, don't you?
02:46I would if they were there, I mean, to be fair, I'm not a shopper, but they do look depressing, all boarded up, and yeah, we have to move with the times though.
02:58Thanks for the times though.
Comments