Halfords to close another store in Devon
Long-established car and bike retailer Halfords has announced another store closure in Devon. On Friday, October 11, the doors of its shop in Exmouth will close for the last time and the nearest store will then be Rydon Lane Retail Park in Exeter.
Halfords says it has chosen to not renew its lease but would not confirm to DevonLive why the decision has been made or how many staff will be affected.
The shop has been in the town for 17 years and is located at Liverton Business Park. Employees who work at the store are said to have been given the opportunity to work at other stores 'where possible'.
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A Halfords spokesperson said: “We can confirm our Halfords Exmouth store will be permanently closing on October 11. The store is closing as a result of the lease coming to an end. We are dedicated to supporting everyone affected and are providing our colleagues with opportunities at alternative locations where possible.
"We’d like to thank all our customers for their support of the Halfords Exmouth store which has been serving local customers for 17 years and look forward to welcoming them at our nearby Halfords Exeter store located within a 22-minute drive.
"Halfords has been supporting motorists and cyclists for more than 130 years, and we’re continuing to invest in our locations across the country. We have been busy transforming our retail stores and autocentres to provide customers with a more connected, seamless, and interactive experience. By supporting local communities, we are making it simpler than ever to look after their cars."
This year has seen a number of Halfords stores close across the country. They include Waterlooville in Hampshire, Winchester in Hampshire, Moorside Road Retail Park in Winnall and Merry Hill Centre in Dudley.
Halfords also closed a string of branches last year. In March 2018, Halfords closed its Exeter city centre store in Sidwell Street.
In July 2020, Halford earmarked 60 stores and garages for closure following a hit in its sales due to coronavirus. At the time, it operated more than 445 stores as well as more than 370 garages in the UK.
Earlier this year, Halfords blamed low consumer demand, inflation, and the poor spring weather as having an impact on sales. Reporting its full year results for fiscal 2024 (to March 29), which saw underlying pre-tax profit drop over 18 per cent, the group said store footfall into fiscal 2025 was down and sales of both cycling and staycation products had been affected.