After serving British high streets for more than 140 years, one of the UK’s oldest department stores is saying a final farewell.
Beales first opened in Bournemouth in 1881 but went into administration in 2020 and was forced to shut 22 of its 23 branches. Its last remaining store in the Dolphin Centre shopping mall in Poole, Dorset will shut for good at the end of May.
Bosses at the business have blamed the cost increases announced in the government’s October Budget, including the rise in national insurance contributions and minimum wage, set to come into place in April.
Tony Brown, chief exec at Beales, told the Telegraph: ‘This, coupled with the risks and uncertainty of further tax increases in the coming years, have left us no other option.’
In response to the news Jeff Moody, commercial director at the British Independent Retailers Association, added: ‘This is not just the loss of another shop – it represents the end of a retail institution that has served communities for nearly one-and-a-half centuries.
‘This closure starkly illustrates the devastating impact that recent tax increases are having on our retail sector.’
Did you see that this historic department store is getting a makeover?
Plus: Here’s the full list of UK high street closures confirmed in 2025, from WH Smith to Homebase.
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