SHOPPERS cried "what's happening to our town" after a high street retailer with 480 locations confirmed it is closing one of its stores.
Next is reportedly set to pull down the shutters on its branch in Oldings Corner retail park, Hatfield, Hertfordshire in the New Year.
The clothing and homeware retailer will close to customers for good on January 13, according to local news reports.
The Sun has contacted Next for comment.
Shoppers have shared their devastation on social media following the announcement of the closure.
One Facebook user said: "I am devastated. I get all my clothes from there."
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Another wrote: "No!!!! What a massive loss."
A third fumed: "What is happening to our town?"
While a fourth added: "So bloody sad. I love this shop and I refuse to shop online."
It comes after Next confirmed plans to close 11 stores this year in a blow to shoppers.
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Six of the stores are not expected to reach their target margins, while two are site redevelopments.
The remaining three are closing because an agreement couldn't be reached with the site's landlord.
Next previously confirmed that its Home store is set to pull down the shutters on its branch at the Crescent Link Retail Park in Derry, Northern Ireland, in February.
Next isn't the only retailer closing stores across the UK either.
A number of high street retailers have been hit hard as consumers increasingly turn to online shopping.
Figures from the British Retail Consortium reveal 6,000 retail outlets have closed their doors for good in the last five years.
The trade association said the closures are in part due to "crippling" business rates and the impact of Covid lockdowns.
A number of well-known brands, including Cath Kidston, Wilko and Paperchase have all gone into administration this year.
Other chains have survived but have still had to close branches, including Sainsbury's and New Look.
But it's not all bad news as some chains have been expanding their presence on the high street too, including Next.
The retailer has opened five new Clearance stores this year.
The outlets are different to normal Next stores in that they feature a selection of outlet products, past season collections and clearance items at discounted prices you can't buy anywhere else.
Meanwhile, Clarks has opened eight branches across the UK this year, including in Taunton, Reigate, Manchester and London.
In July, B&M said it would open several new branches within weeks following a string of closures.
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Poundland also has plans to open 75 new stores by Christmas, with many popping up in former Wilko sites.
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