New Look in Kingswood to close next month

The New Look shop in Kings Chase Shopping Centre in Kingswood is to close next month.

Kings Chase Shopping Centre announced this week: “Sadly, after many years with us here at Kings Chase, New Look will be closing their doors for the final time on Wednesday 9th August.

“We would like to thank Carol and the New Look Kingswood team for their service over the years and we wish them all the very best for the future.

“Make sure you stay tuned for exciting updates about who will be replacing them soon!”

The Kingswood branch was one of 60 of the struggling fashion retailer’s 593 stores in the UK which were identified for potential closure back in 2018 under a Company Voluntary Arrangement proposal approved by creditors.  At the time the Keynsham branch closed but the Kings Chase remained open.

New Look is understood to have been in Kingswood for about 30 years and the announcement of the impending closure has prompted a range of comments on Facebook.

One person said: “This is beyond sad. Carol and her team are a big draw to Kingswood. There are very few ‘key’ shops in Kingswood now that draw customers and this is one of them. I am really sad to hear this.”

Some of the responses have been rather cynical.  “Let me guess, another charity shop or Vape store,” said one person. Another commented: “Does this mean we get another charity shop, takeaway or slots shop?”

One person in the conversation observed: “It’s about time this long-heralded regeneration of Kingswood happened. We seem to be going backwards. not forwards. what are South Gloucestershire Council playing at?”

But another commented: “It’s not really the council’s fault. Even if they charged minimal rent these companies aren’t interested in having a presence on the high street. If New Look was making a profit it wouldn’t be closing. Lots of people are armchair shoppers now or use click and collect. There will naturally be fewer physical shops, just places to collect what you’ve ordered online.

“Companies only need one shop to cover a wide area then. If you are an internet shopper and never visit Kingswood you can’t complain when local shops shut because they don’t make enough profit!”