Next is Ditching Middlesbrough and I'm Not Even Surprised Anymore

By HOAR Team 4 July, 2025 5 mins read 80 Views

God, here we go again.

Another major retailer is basically giving up on British high streets, and this time it's Next pulling out of Middlesbrough. The signs went up on their Linthorpe Road store doors announcing they're done - July 12th is the final day. That's less than two weeks from now, which feels pretty brutal even by today's standards.

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They're doing that thing where they slap massive discount signs everywhere to clear out stock before disappearing forever. Starting July 5th, everything's half price. It's like watching a going-out-of-business fire sale, except it's actually happening and real people are losing their jobs.

I texted my mate who works retail in Newcastle about this, and his response was basically: "already updating my LinkedIn." The whole industry feels like it's in free fall sometimes.

The Building Owner Sounds Defeated

Nasser Din owns the building, and when he spoke to Teesside Live, you could practically hear the exhaustion in his voice. "This is very sad news, it's another blow for the town centre," he said. Another loss of a major fashion department store in Middlesbrough.

Here's the kicker - he hasn't even received official written confirmation yet, but everyone knows it's happening. That's how these things work now. Rumors become reality faster than anyone can process.

Din thinks it's about footfall, which... yeah, obviously. "People are stopping coming here," he said, and honestly, that hits different when you think about all the families who used to make shopping trips into proper outings.

Poor guy is already being realistic about what comes next. He called it "wishful thinking" to expect another retailer to move in. That's the reality of 2024 - empty shops staying empty.

Everyone's Bailing Out

This Next closure isn't happening in a vacuum. Poundland just announced they're shutting their Dudley store on July 18th. A Poundland spokesperson gave one of those corporate responses about how "disappointing" it is, then immediately directed customers to other locations. Classic.

New Look closed their Hamilton, Scotland branch on July 1st, leaving locals "gutted" according to reports. And get this - Sky News is saying New Look's owners are talking to advisers about potentially auctioning off the entire business.

I remember when New Look was everywhere. Now they're basically circling the drain.

What Even Happens to These Towns?

The Tees Valley Authority might invest in Middlesbrough town centre, according to Din. He's hopeful, which is more optimistic than I'd be at this point.

But seriously, what happens when all the anchor stores disappear? These weren't tiny independent shops - Next, Poundland, New Look - these were the places that kept foot traffic moving through town centres.

I spent way too much money in Next stores back in 2019 when I was trying to build a "professional wardrobe" for my first proper job. Probably dropped £400 on work clothes that I barely wear now because everyone's remote half the time anyway.

The whole situation feels like watching dominoes fall in slow motion, except each domino is someone's livelihood and entire communities are getting hollowed out.

Next has other branches across Teesside, so it's not like they're completely abandoning the area. But still - another empty storefront, another "For Lease" sign, another little piece of what used to make British high streets actually worth visiting.

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