Store closures confirmed as HMV and Typo shut UK shops

More high street closures as retailers battle rising rents

Stationery retailer Typo is withdrawing from the British market altogether, putting its remaining 13 shops at risk of closure. 

Meanwhile, HMV is preparing to give up its famous Oxford Street premises, less than three years after bringing the store back following an earlier closure.

The latest announcements also include a Pep&Co branch in Scotland and an M&S Simply Food outlet in Hampshire.

Typo's exit will extend beyond its physical shops. Cotton On Group, the Australian company's parent business, has confirmed to the Mirror that both its UK stores and online operation will cease trading by early 2027.

The group said it had been unable to find a financially viable way to continue operating the brand in Britain, pointing to the combined impact of expensive rents, higher running costs and weaker sales.

A spokesperson said: “Despite the efforts of our teams, ongoing high rent and operating costs, combined with softer sales, mean there is no sustainable path today for Typo in the UK.”

HMV plans “exciting steps” for 2027

HMV is facing a similar problem at its Oxford Street flagship, where the cost of occupying the building has reportedly doubled since the shop reopened in 2023.

The store has particular significance for the music retailer, which originally shut the location in 2019 after entering administration. 

Its return four years later was seen as a major moment for the business, making the latest closure another setback.

HMV managing director Phil Halliday said: “This is a special store, it's where we began 100 years ago and bringing it back to life in 2023 was a big moment in our recent history. It's frustrating that it has been made commercially unviable.”

However, the company is already considering its next moves. Halliday added: “Our focus is now on what we do to make exciting steps for HMV in 2027.”

Further north, Pep&Co is preparing to end its 11-year presence in Glenrothes, with the Scottish store scheduled to close on 22 October.

M&S is also reducing its food-store footprint, with a Simply Food branch in Alton, Hampshire, set to shut.