A city centre shop and an out of town store have both revealed they are closing down.
Hawkin’s Bazaar on High Ousegate now has a large yellow sign in its window declaring ‘Store Closing Down’.
The High Ousegate shop sells gifts, novelties and toys. But the parent business has collapsed into administration, putting 177 jobs at risk.
The Norwich-based chain is the latest retailer to enter insolvency under the pressure of dwindling high street footfall and high rates and rents.
A notice in the York shop window states that Tom Straw and Simon Thomas of Moorfields Advisory have been appointed joint administrators.
Struggled to compete
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Hawkin’s Bazaar is a retail brand with a strong heritage both on the high street and online.
Unfortunately, despite making changes to their offering to appeal to the shift in modern buying patterns, the retailer still struggled to compete with online retailers such as Amazon etc.
The closure comes as retailers have joined the My City Centre Advisory Group, looking to help draw up a new vision for the heart of York
Described on the shopping park website as a “flagship Monsoon featuring Monsoon Men, Monsoon Children and Accessorize” the clothes retailer has also begun a closing down sale.
A notice in its window says the store is closing on 8 February.
It is based in one of the freshly-refurbished units at Monks Cross. The shopping centre has had a significant turnover of stores in recent years.
Evans, TopMan, TopShop, Miss Selfridge and Outfit quit Monks Cross in 2018. But it has since recruited Superdrug and Mothercare, and constructed food units, one of which now houses a Greggs.