Popular bakery chain loved for its biscuits suddenly shuts ALL stores with a ‘heavy heart’ as it enters ‘new chapter’
A POPULAR bakery chain loved for its biscuits has suddenly shut all of its stores as it begins a "new chapter".
Plant Blonde announced with a "heavy heart" that its two outlets in the centre of Glasgow, Scotland, had closed.
The vegan business operated a coffee shop in the West End of the city and also had a concession within a giant Lush store in the heart of Glasgow.
Beloved for its Empire biscuits, vibrant cakes, and plant-based dishes and baked goods, Plant Blonde has won a number of awards for its creations.
Owners Jennifer Walls and Marc Sorbie announced the closures in an emotional post on Instagram.
They said: "To our Plant Blonde community - a heartfelt thank you.
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"With a heavy heart we announce the closure of both of our current coffee stores in Partick and Lush Glasgow City Centre.
"To our incredible community - thank you for being part of our journey."
But it's not all bad news as the chain is currently working on a new studio and bakery which are both close to completion.
The pair's message continued: "Your support has been instrumental in shaping Plant Blonde, and we're excited to continue growing in a way that truly aligns with our vision.
"Thank you for the memories, the moments, and the love you have shared with us at both our Partick shop and our store inside Lush Glasgow City.
"It has been a fantastic and fun journey, creating many joyful moments."
They added: "Having both stores allowed us to connect with people from all over the world.
"Thank you for making us part of your day, your week, and your trip."
The business' new bakery will focus on creating "plant-based clean cakes using the highest quality seasonal ingredients" for both weddings and other events.
Its message said: "We're stepping into a new chapter at Plant Blonde, with our new studio nearly complete.
"We are excited to continue creating plant-based clean cakes using the highest quality seasonal ingredients.
"Our brand-new Plant Blonde Studio gives us the space to perfect and elevate our cakes, creating with love and passion for plant-based celebration cakes, bespoke wedding cakes, and event bakes, all while staying true to our core values of sustainability, quality, and conscious living."
The bakery chain also said it was open to "new opportunities and collaborations" and hopes to create "positive change".
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.
However, additional costs have added further pain to an already struggling sector.
The British Retail Consortium has predicted that the Treasury's hike to employer NICs from April will cost the retail sector £2.3billion.
At the same time, the minimum wage will rise to £12.21 an hour from April, and the minimum wage for people aged 18-20 will rise to £10 an hour, an increase of £1.40.
The Centre for Retail Research (CRR) has also warned that around 17,350 retail sites are expected to shut down this year.
It comes on the back of a tough 2024 when 13,000 shops closed their doors for good, already a 28% increase on the previous year.
Professor Joshua Bamfield, director of the CRR said: "The results for 2024 show that although the outcomes for store closures overall were not as poor as in either 2020 or 2022, they are still disconcerting, with worse set to come in 2025."
It comes after almost 170,000 retail workers lost their jobs in 2024.
End-of-year figures compiled by the Centre for Retail Research showed the number of job losses spiked amid the collapse of major chains such as Homebase and Ted Baker.
It said its latest analysis showed that a total of 169,395 retail jobs were lost in the 2024 calendar year to date.
This was up 49,990 – an increase of 41.9% – compared with 2023.
It is the highest annual reading since more than 200,000 jobs were lost in 2020 in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced retailers to shut their stores during lockdowns.
The centre said 38 major retailers went into administration in 2024, including household names such as Lloyds Pharmacy, Homebase, The Body Shop, Carpetright and Ted Baker.
Around a third of all retail job losses in 2024, 33% or 55,914 in total, resulted from administrations.
Experts have said small high street shops could face a particularly challenging 2025 because of Budget tax and wage changes.
Professor Bamfield has warned of a bleak outlook for 2025, predicting that as many as 202,000 jobs could be lost in the sector.
"By increasing both the costs of running stores and the costs on each consumer's household it is highly likely that we will see retail job losses eclipse the height of the pandemic in 2020."
Plant Blonde opened its Hyndland Street store in 2022, and the Glasgow Times reported that former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon declared its biscuit "the best Empire biscuit I've ever tasted" when she visited the shop.
It then opened its second unit inside the Lush flagship store on Buchanan Street in December 2023.
Fans of the bakery wished the business good luck but said they will miss being able to pop in for a biscuit.
One person wrote: "Where can we find the Empires?"
Another said: "Aww I’ll miss popping by for some Empires, but all the best to you both in your new era."
A third person added: "Best of luck and good fortune for your new journey.”
This comes after a beloved independent cookshop and cafe shut its doors after more than 40 years of operation.
Dinghams Cookshop in Salisbury, Wiltshire, said "unsustainable rising costs" had pushed it to collapse.
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Dinghams explained: "Rising costs, changes in consumer habits, and external economic pressures have made it increasingly difficult to maintain the level of service and quality you’ve come to expect from us."
The cookshop and cafe added: "Despite our best efforts to adapt and find solutions, the combination of these pressures has made it unsustainable for us to continue operating as an independent business."
