Iconic beauty and pharmacy chain to shut popular store in weeks

A major blow has been dealt to Bournemouth‘s high street as Superdrug, a prominent retailer with over 800 branches, confirmed the closure of its popular town centre site.

It boasts an attractive location on Commercial Road, a decades-old central retail hub. In the 1960s, the street hosted some of the biggest names in the industry, including British Home Stores (BHS) and Marks and Spencer, which still stands today.

The former BHS site was transformed into a Superdrug, which trades opposite Primark but will soon cease to exist in Bournemouth’s main shopping district when it shuts on January 31.

Locals have been shocked by the news. The one-stop shop for everything from makeup to medicine—is closing due to the landlord’s redevelopment plans.

The Bournemouth Daily Echo reported that the current building will be transformed into eight smaller units.

It’s not all bad news for Superdrug fans, as alternative stores in the vicinity remain open. However, the nearest alternative is a 3.1-mile journey on Christchurch Road in Boscombe.

Adding to the gloom, WHSmith has already announced plans to close another Bournemouth branch later this week. The stationery giant will axe its Old Christchurch Road branch in Bournemouth, Dorset, on Saturday, January 18.

A second site in Winton will close on February 15 next month. This follows the closure of another store in Boscombe earlier in June.

Locals have branded the Superdrug closure “ridiculous”, and one dismayed local described Bournemouth as turning into a “ghost town”.

Another devastated shopper lamented that Superdrug doesn’t deserve to go, praising it as “such a good shop” and WHSmith as “one of the best” for art supplies.

One woman took to X, formerly Twitter, to say, “WHSmith and Superdrug are about to close in Bournemouth town centre, but never mind—they’ve opened an Ivy restaurant.”

As detailed in the Total Guide to Dorset, the recent debut of The Ivy restaurant was deemed “one of the most anticipated openings” of the year in 2024.

The prestigious London-based restaurant chain welcomed Bournemouth locals to its new site on Richmond Hill at the tail-end of 2024 after recruiting for 120 positions.

Another stylish hospitality chain, The Botanist, is heading to Bournemouth this year. Known for its nature-inspired theme, The Botanist will feature a restored sun terrace and outdoor dining space.

According to the Dorest guide, the restaurant is expected to open in a matter of months and bring 80 new jobs to the area.

Find out more about store closures near you with the Express.co.uk January store closure roundup.