Beloved high street retailer to shut its doors for good as it launches 50% off closing down sale

A BELOVED high street retailer is to shut its doors for good as it launches a major closing down sale.

Essential Vintage told followers on social that it would be closing down after they had been “priced out” because of bigger players in the market such as Vinted.

Owner Josh Byworth said: “The days of going into a specialist store like this to find that one-off piece are gone now –you can go online and find 50 of the same thing without the overheads.”

The businessman said that they were also dealing with high costs such as rent and electricity.

Fans were quick to chime in and share their devastation.

One person said: “You have kitted me out with some of my most treasured garms to date so thank you. I wish you nothing but the best.”

While another person added: “Sadly people have never understood use it or lose it and they are pushing everything online, so very very sad for you and all entrepreneurial small retailers.”

And a third said: “Such a shame after such work you put in to build your business.”

The store has launched a 50% off sale to help shift stock before its final trading day.

Offers include Levi jeans for £7 and branded tops for £8.

Shoppers can also pick up Vinyls for £1.

The retailer exclusively stocked vintage clothes, making it a haven for sustainable shoppers.

It is not the first time Ipswich locals have had to wave goodbye to their favorite shop.

Over the summer, East of England Co-op rolled down the shutters on its site in Cauldwell Hall Road, Ipswich.

Select Fashion also announced it would be closing doors of its branch inIpswich for good.

Next also closed its outlet store in SuffolkRetailPark, Ipswich inFebruary of last year.

Next also closed its outlet store in SuffolkRetailPark, Ipswich inFebruary of this year.

TROUBLE ON THE HIGH STREET

Plenty of other retailers are closing stores across the high street as households lean more towards online shopping and amid high business rates.

Soaring inflation in recent years has also dented shoppers' pockets.

The Centre for Retail Research's latest analysis suggests 13,479 stores, the equivalent of 37 each day, shut for good in 2024.

Of those, 11,341 were independent shops while 2,138 were shut by larger retailers.

The data also showed over half the stores that closed last year were shut due to the store or retailer going through insolvency proceedings.

This is when formal measures are taken to deal with tackling a business's debt.

Retailers are also shutting stores in 2025.

New Lookis ramping up a store closure programme ahead of April's NationalInsurancehike.

Approximately a quarter of the retailer's 364 stores are at risk when their leases expire.

This equates to about 91 stores, with a significant impact on its 8,000-strong workforce.