SHOPPERS are rushing to grab clearance bargains as sporting goods giant Decathlon prepares to shut a major store after a decade on the high street.
The retailer is set to close its Queens Square branch in Crawley on July 24, ending ten years of trading in the town.
A closing down sale is currently underway, with customers flocking to snap up discounted stock before the doors shut for good.
A sign outside the store already states it is “permanently closed”, although it remains open for now while stock is cleared.
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The notice reads: “Thank you for being a loyal customer! You can still find us online at http://www.decathlon.co.uk or come see us at our Croydon and Brighton stores.”
The closure has sparked a wave of reaction from residents, with many fearing it is another blow to Crawley’s struggling town centre.
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Crawley borough councillor Duncan Crow described the closure as a “huge loss” for the town.
He said in a Facebook post: “It’s a huge loss for the town centre which, outside of County Mall, appears to be an increasing struggle for retailers.”
Decathlon was founded in France in 1976 by Michel Leclercq, with its first store opening in Lille, and now runs more than 1,900 stores across 82 countries.
The retail giant expanded into the UK in 1999, and has since become a familiar sight on high streets across the country, selling everything from sportswear to camping gear and bikes.
In other news, Decathlon has also joined forces with IKEA to trial a brand new “shop-in-a-shop” concept in the UK.
The first pilot store opened in April at IKEA Croydon, featuring a standalone 1,188 square metre unit stocking over 5,000 products across 70 sports.
Shoppers can also use Decathlon’s Buy Back scheme, allowing them to trade in old sports gear for store credit.
If the trial proves successful, IKEA could roll out the Decathlon collaboration to more locations across the UK and beyond.
