For the first time since 1964 there will be no standalone Habitat stores in the UK come the summer.
The brand’s three stores will close in July.
In 2018 Sainsbury’s, which acquired Habitat in September 2016 as part of its purchase of Argos, invested £1.5m in stand-alone stores in Brighton (pictured) and Westfield, London – the first store openings in a decade, adding to the 2,000sqft Mini store in Leeds.
It had previously closed a number of branches and opened Habitat branded areas within its supermarkets and made Habitat a major furniture brand for Argos.
At the time Clare Askem, then Habitat md said: ‘It’s a really exciting time for Habitat as we launch our first major stand-alone stores in ten years. Stores are an important part of our growth strategy as we know that our customers love to be inspired by our furniture and furnishings in immersive store settings, so we’re thrilled that these launches will bring us to key locations in Brighton and Westfield London where we have a lot of Habitat fans. As our digital business has grown, there has also been a real desire from customers to see Habitat on the high street.’
‘In 2020 we reviewed our Habitat stores and took the decision to close some and retain three as showrooms. Since then, customers have increasingly been shopping for Habitat products online and within Sainsbury’s stores, meaning the showrooms have been less popular. As a result, we are talking to a very small number of colleagues about the difficult decision to close all three showrooms in July,’ says the group.
‘We have not made this decision lightly and we appreciate it will be unsettling for those affected.’
Image: Sainsbury’s
