Much loved shoe chain to close after 40 years on the high street

A beloved shoe shop is the latest victim of the dwindling high street as it announces its closure after 40 years.

Blunts Shoes has confirmed they will be closing on Granby Street in Leicester City Centre in March.

They said: ‘After 40 wonderful years, we are sad to announce the closing of our Blunts Shoes Leicester store.

‘It has been an honour to serve this community, and we are truly grateful for your support and loyalty over the years.

‘Please continue to support us at our Blunts Shoes Leicester Store which is confirmed to close at the end of March.’

The shop first opened in 1864 and has been in the heart of the East Midlands’ largest city for four decades.

James Blunt bought the store to national attention after joking about the shop’s signage after it lost the second ‘S’ in ‘Blunts Shoes’.

The company said that dropping footfall has been a factor in their decision to close.

Ten other stores operate throughout the region.

By the end of 2024, the Centre for Retail Research reported an additional 8,543 stores had closed by mid-November and nearly 250,000 retail jobs had been lost over two years.

Many high streets have reported store closures due to dwindling footfall and less spending power due to the cost of living crisis, with recent research revealing almost 10,500 UK shops closed for the final time in 2023.

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