Bosses confirm Falkirk shoe shop closure

The branch of Clarks at Unit 3A of Falkirk Central Retail Park has been closed for weeks now, but there were hopes it was possibly undergoing refurbishment.

However, this week the shoe giant confirmed the shop was no more and pointed people to “nearby” branches.

A Clarks spokesperson said: “We confirm the store at Falkirk Central Retail Park has closed. Customers can continue to shop from our full range of products online and at our nearby Clarks stores in Stirling, Glasgow and Edinburgh.”

Earlier this year Clarks appointed the Jonathan Ram, the former boss of US sportswear brand New Balance, as the shoe retailer’s chief executive.

He took over from Johnny Chen, who had been in post as temporary chief executive since Victor Herrero stepped down in November 2021.

Clarks hoped the move would help protect the future of the firm, which was founded in 1825, after it posted a record loss during the pandemic of £180 million for the last financial year, including a £600 million drop in revenue.

Back in 2020 Clarks announced it was permanently closing a small number of its stores – which then numbered almost 350 – as part of a plan to save the struggling firm.

At that time the stores affected closed down once their leases had expired.

Clarks stated the closures were not due to the pandemic, but part of an ongoing review of the business.