Major high street shoe retailer closes 14 stores across the UK

Shoe Zone has closed 14 shops across the UK after reporting losses exceeding £5m. The footwear retailer said the stores have shut over the past six months following a period of financial difficulty. Shoe Zone, which runs 259 outlets in Britain, faced a £5.3m pre-tax loss for the 26 weeks to March 28. Bosses confirmed 14 locations have closed, with losses reaching nearly double the £2.3m recorded during the same period in 2025. Alongside challenging trading conditions, including a decline in consumer spending, the company recently attributed the downturn to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East . Shoe Zone, which has its headquarters in Leicester and employs approximately 2,000 staff, said the war had "increased customer caution" as well as "additional costs such as container prices and transportation costs". The company's revenues fell by 12% to £62.9 million over the period ending March 28. The brand has also operated from 19 fewer stores compared to 12 months previously, reports the Express . Shoe Zone now anticipates a full-year loss of between £1m and £2m as the trading climate remains difficult. Despite the 14 closures, the firm hopes to continue investing in its remaining branches with greater emphasis on social media to drive sales, including a new TikTok shop. Charles Smith, Shoe Zone's chairman, said the retailer is battling economic headwinds and a significant decline in consumer confidence. The ongoing conflict in the Middle East has also driven shipping and transport costs sharply higher. The broader financial strain caused by the war is further squeezing shoppers who already have less money to spend, reports the Express . The firm stated that trading continues to be "negatively impacted by a further weakening in consumer confidence, following the Government's last two budget announcements, as well as the geo-political issues in the Middle East". Shoe Zone bosses are also scaling back their distribution centre operations, confirming they are relinquishing three of their six leases in response to the declining number of stores. This comes after JD Sports Fashion confirmed it has closed more than 24 of its stores across the UK. The sports retailer operates 4,811 stores worldwide and has warned that geopolitical factors, including the situation in the Middle East, could have an impact on its profits and overall costs. JD said higher costs could also push up prices and weaken customer demand. The store closures, which took place over the past year, comes as the company aims to have "fewer, bigger, better" shops.