Major fast-food chain with 2,000 sites to shut ‘friendly’ branch as foodies brand the move ‘shocking’
A MAJOR fast-food chain has announced it will be shutting down one of its branches in a "shocking" move.
The fast-food giant with 2,000 sites is set to close its "friendly" store much to the fans' dismay.
Subway has confirmed it will pull down the shutters on its Queen street branch in Ipswich.
The firm cited the end of the lease as the reason for the fast-food branch to seize operations.
The exact date of the store's closure isn't clear but the lease is said to expire in November.
A spokesperson for the company said that the franchise is in the process of looking into relocation options.
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The address of the store at 26-28 Queen Street has already been put on the market.
Fans have reacted to the news and flocked online to express their dismay at the sudden closure.
One person wrote: "Too bad, the staff are lovely at this location."
Another one added: "This is so sad."
Someone else said: "Literally ruined my day."
The Queen street shop has proven popular amongst locals with an average 4.2 stars on Google maps.
Reviewers have hailed the store "friendly, fast and efficient" as they praised the staff.
One reviewer wrote: "Overall the store is very clean and well organised with quick and friendly service."
Another one added: "Very good service from the staff, plenty boards showing what you can have & what you can add for people that are new to the restaurant.
"Service was fast & very efficient & the staff were friendly & very helpful."
A third person commented: "I highly recommend this branch of Subway due to the superb staff member and the tastiest sandwiches."
It comes as the chain has introduced a huge shake-up to the way customers order at a number of restaurants - including a divisive feature.
The fast-food restaurant has announced the launch of new self-service kiosks, a brand-new app, and an improved loyalty programme.
Another recent update is the relaunch of Subway Rewards, allowing customers to earn points on every purchase and then convert them into Subway Cash to be used on any menu items, with no minimum spend.
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Under the new loyalty scheme, which was launched on May 16, customers earn 10 points per £1 on spending of up to £149.99 in a calendar year, 11 points per £1 spent between £150 and £349.99, and 12 points per £1 spent above that.
Each 150 points will get customers £1 off in-store orders and while there is no minimum spend, customers need to redeem at least £1 at a time.
Why are retailers closing stores?
RETAILERS have been feeling the squeeze since the pandemic, while shoppers are cutting back on spending due to the soaring cost of living crisis.
High energy costs and a move to shopping online after the pandemic are also taking a toll, and many high street shops have struggled to keep going.
The high street has seen a whole raft of closures over the past year, and more are coming.
The number of jobs lost in British retail dropped last year, but 120,000 people still lost their employment, figures have suggested.
Figures from the Centre for Retail Research revealed that 10,494 shops closed for the last time during 2023, and 119,405 jobs were lost in the sector.
It was fewer shops than had been lost for several years, and a reduction from 151,641 jobs lost in 2022.
The centre's director, Professor Joshua Bamfield, said the improvement is "less bad" than good.
Although there were some big-name losses from the high street, including Wilko, many large companies had already gone bust before 2022, the centre said, such as Topshop owner Arcadia, Jessops and Debenhams.
"The cost-of-living crisis, inflation and increases in interest rates have led many consumers to tighten their belts, reducing retail spend," Prof Bamfield said.
"Retailers themselves have suffered increasing energy and occupancy costs, staff shortages and falling demand that have made rebuilding profits after extensive store closures during the pandemic exceptionally difficult."
Alongside Wilko, which employed around 12,000 people when it collapsed, 2023's biggest failures included Paperchase, Cath Kidston, Planet Organic and Tile Giant.
The Centre for Retail Research said most stores were closed because companies were trying to reorganise and cut costs rather than the business failing.
However, experts have warned there will likely be more failures this year as consumers keep their belts tight and borrowing costs soar for businesses.
The Body Shop and Ted Baker are the biggest names to have already collapsed into administration this year.