It has been another turbulent year on the high street as the sector continues to recover from the pandemic. Shoppers have still not returned in the numbers that came prior to March 2020 - and even before the pandemic more and more people were moving to online retail.
The fallout has been some brands trimming back their retail footprint with struggling high streets the worst affected. It has also meant a couple of high profile administrations.
The most recent of these was Wilko - with the final store in North Wales closing today.
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Here we list the administrations and closures that have hit the region in the past 12 months
Administrations
M&Co
Fashion chain M&Co appointed administrators Teneo Financial Advisory for the second time in December 2022. At the time, it had 170 stores and 1,910 staff - including one shop in Llandudno that shut at the end of last year. It had previously restructured in 2020 using pre-pack administration, closing 47 stores.
The retailer was bought out of administration in February this year, but the retailer’s 170 stores and almost 2,000 staff were not part of the transaction and shut. Instead, M&Co’s brand and intellectual property were acquired by AK Retail Holdings for an undisclosed sum.
The good news for Llandudno is that the unit was taken on by the Loungers brand and reopened as the Ormo Lounge this summer.
Wilko
The last Wilko standing in North Wales will close today. One of the biggest names on Britain's high streets plunged into administration in August.
The region had six stores prior to the crisis in Rhyl, Wrexham, Holyhead, Porthmadog, Llandudno and Pwllheli. The last one to close will be Porthmadog today.
Discount chains B&M and Poundland have agreed to buy as many as 122 Wilko stores between them, although so far none of those are confirmed for the North Wales sites.
Closures
Boots
Boots is in the process of closing 300 of its stores across the UK. They are with all expected to permanently shut by the end of the year.
Despite the store closures, the company hopes it can help find employment for workers in other parts of the business.
In North Wales the programme saw the Holywell site shut in August. It is not known if more will follow.
Iceland
Deeside based Iceland has closed three stores in North Wales this year - although it has also added a Food Warehouse supermarket.
The frozen food giant shut stores at the White Rose Centre in Rhyl, the Deiniol Centre store in Bangor and the shop on Church Street in Flint.
Iceland did though open a Food Warehouse shop in Bangor this spring.
New Look
New Look closed another North Wales store this summer. The chain has closed sites at various locations in the region in recent years, including Colwyn Bay, Prestatyn and Bangor.
In July the brand has announced that the shop in Rhyl would close. The unit in the White Rose Shopping Centre shut on July 25.
Asda Living
Asda started a consultation in February over the future of the Asda Living store on Island Green retail park in Wrexham.
The shop, which employed around 20 members of staff, had been "running at a loss for a number of years" according to store bosses.
It closed on July 31.
Marks and Spencer
Marks and Spencer announced in February it was closing its Eagles Meadow in a relocation plan in Wrexham. M&S had been at the shopping centre since 2008 having previously had a store on Hope Street.
But the store will close in the coming weeks. It will be replaced by a new M&S Foodhall in the Plas Coch Retail Park.
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