THE Original Factory Shop in St Leonards Road, Bexhill, has confirmed it will close later this month as part of the chain’s national collapse into administration.
Notices displayed at the store say the branch will shut its doors on 22 March, marking the end of the discount retailer’s presence in the town.
The closure follows the news earlier this year that The Original Factory Shop and accessories chain Claire’s had entered administration, placing around 2,500 jobs at risk across the UK and Ireland.
Both chains are owned by investment firm Modella Capital, which said it had taken the difficult decision after attempts to rescue the businesses failed. A company spokesperson previously said: “We have worked intensively in an effort to save both businesses… but neither has a realistic possibility of trading profitably again.”
The company also blamed difficult conditions on the high street, pointing to weak consumer confidence, rising costs and wider economic pressures affecting retailers.
The Original Factory Shop, founded in 1969, operated more than 100 stores across the UK, selling discounted clothing, homewares and branded goods.
The closure will be another blow for Bexhill’s town centre, after the news last week of the closure of Maybugs in Devonshire Road, which has been in the town since 2022.
