Huge blow to Britain’s most iconic high street as popular shop suddenly closes down leaving shoppers fuming

SHOPPERS are feeling letdown after Britain's most iconic store suddenly closes, causing a big blow to the high street.

The flagship store has been a staple for years but eagle-eyed shoppers have spotted closing down signs in the windows.

Cool Britannia, the legendary UK souvenir shop, is shuttering its flagship store on Oxford Street, much to the dismay of customers.

The retail store has long served British-themed merchandise including Union Jack flags, London landmark mementoes and novelty items.

It was long-revered as a hotspot for tourists and recognisable as a quintessentially British store to locals, with multiple sites across the country.

The sad news was revealed online by a gutted shopper who posted a picture of the shop on Facebook with closing down sale posters on the windows.

They wrote: “Cool Britannia in Oxford Street has a closing down sale, reflecting on what's happening to our great country.”

Another deflated customer shared their disappointment, writing: “Sad status report.”

Oxford Street is known as the business shopping street in Europe, so for the flagship store to shut it a big blow.

The store, celebrating British heritage and culture, has racked up 4.2 stars on Google and also has a plethero of positive reviews.

One thrilled shopper wrote: “Great place for London Goodies!”

Another who was chuffed with the price tag added: “Great store. Very cheap souvenirs. The cups cost around £2-5. I recommend.”

A third commented: “Good products and really good service.”

The term “Cool Britannia” itself is a play on the patriotic song “Rule, Britannia!” by James Thomson.

Cool Britannia was also the name for the period of increased pride in UK culture in the 1990s.

In the early 2000s the slogan Keep Calm and Carry On, said by Churchill, became mainstream and could be spotted on mugs and posters in Cool Britannia.

Despite the iconic store shutting up shop, it's been reported that only 2 per cent of units on Oxford Street are empty.

This is the lowest figure for the high-street in years.

TROUBLE ON THE HIGH STREET

However not all is looking up at Cool Britannia is just one of a slew of closures that have been hitting the high street.

Shoe Zone has already closed astring of stores across the UK, including recent shutdowns inBoscombe,Bournemouthand Burgess Hill, WestSussex.

Morrisons will be scrapping 52 cafes and 17 stores in a cost-cutting shake-up.

Even fashion chain New Look will close several of its stores this month as it significantly reduces its store footprint.

The retailer is accelerating plans to close nearly 100 stores, following challenges linked to the tax changes announced in the Autumn Budget.

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

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 forRetailResearch'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 debt.