Withernsea and Hornsea’s branches of The Original Factory Shop (TOFS) will close down next month, store staff have confirmed.
Both stores’ final day of trading will be Saturday, April 4. It comes after the discount clothing and homeware chain entered insolvency proceedings earlier this year.
Owner Modella Capital said tough trading conditions and a poor Christmas period had left the business in serious difficulty. The chain employs about 1,220 people across around 140 shops nationally.
In a notice shared on social media, the Withernsea store said: “To all our loyal customers, unfortunately the time has come after 11 years to close our doors. Our last day of trading is April 4.
“As you can imagine, it is a very upsetting time for our colleagues, so please be kind.
“We hope to see you all in the next couple of weeks. Thank you again for all your support over the years.”
In a similar post, staff at the Hornsea store said: “We would like to take the opportunity to thank every one of you that has shopped with us. As you can understand, this is a hard and upsetting time for all our staff so please be kind.
“As to the question we get asked 200 times a day, unfortunately we do not know what the store will be.”
The Original Factory Shop sells a wide range of clothing, footwear, homeware, electrical goods and kitchenware.
When the company’s financial problems first emerged, Modella Capital said it was entering insolvency proceedings across the UK and Ireland in the hope of finding a buyer. The firm blamed “tough trading conditions” and “alarmingly low” Christmas trading.
Modella also said at the time that the business had been in a vulnerable position before it was acquired.
The closure is another blow for the high street, with retailers continuing to face pressure from rising costs, inflation, weak consumer confidence and the long-term shift towards online shopping.