THE Basingstoke branch of WH Smith has announced it is closing next year after more than half a century, putting the future of the town centre Post Office branch at risk.

A spokesperson for WH Smith has confirmed to the Gazette that the store, in The Malls, which houses the Post Office, will shut on Saturday, February 1, 2025 because “it is no longer sustainable to continue to trade from this location”.

The closure will be the end an era for Basingstoke, with WH Smith being part of the town centre for more than 56 years. The Malls branch opened in 1968, when it relocated from the Top of Town. 

The town centre branch of the Post Office moved to the WH Smith store in 2019 despite objections from residents and councillors concerned that the relocation would result in a loss of footfall at the Top of Town.

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The Post Office said in a statement that the operator of the branch has resigned.

It added: “The operator for Basingstoke Post Office has resigned as WHSmith has made the difficult decision to close the store, where the branch is based, is shutting on 1 February, with the expiry of the lease.”

It confirmed that the vacancy for the Basingstoke Post Office has been advertised and there are “several interested retailers”.

It added: “There are already two applicants and a potential third. We will consider their applications and we hope to be able to progress with one of those applicants.”

A spokesperson for WH Smith said: “It is no longer sustainable to continue to trade from this location and the decision has been taken to close the store as a result of the forthcoming lease expiry.

“We are disappointed to be losing our presence in Basingstoke and we would like to thank all our customers for their support and for shopping with us. We are also extremely grateful for the commitment of our in store colleagues who we will support with this transition and redeploy to nearby stores, where possible.”

The retailer, which runs more than 1,100 stores, announced in January that it would close a number of branches across the UK. Basingstoke was not on the list of planned store closures at the time.

The chain also announced an expansion with the opening of 15 branches at airports and train stations.