A value footwear retailer that has been in Broadmead for several decades looks set to close. Shoe Zone has put up posters in the shop windows of its last remaining Bristol city store, advertising a closing-down sale.
Head office is yet to confirm the closure or provide a closing date for the shoe shop chain, which closed all branches in Ireland in 2021. The news comes as a disappointment to Bristol shoppers who will now have to go to Kingswood or Keynsham if they wish to shop in a Shoe Zone store.
At least 20 other Shoe Zone branches closed in 2020, including the shop in Bedminster. But in 2021 the Leicestershire-based discount footwear chain announced that profits were up by 73 per cent compared to the previous year. Digital revenues now account for one in every six sales, Shoe Zone told Business Live in May.
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Bristol Live understands that the Broadmead shop is closing due to the lease expiring, but Shoe Zone has not officially confirmed the reason. It is not clear what will happen to the unit, but staff at the Bristol shop said they believe there could be plans to replace it with a gambling business.
Bristol mum Jen Smith, who finds the shop useful for school shoes, saw the closing-down posters in the windows on Christmas Eve. She said: "it's sad that it's closing down because if you live in the central area there's not that many places you can get P.E shoes or trainers.
"My kids wear black trainers for school and I always buy them there. I'm quite gutted actually, with Marks and Spencer's gone we're losing all these shops used by local families."
Shoe Zone has been approached for a comment.
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