Original Factory Shop to close three Scots stores this week – see the full list
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A MAJOR high street retailer has announced it is closing three Scottish stores this week, with a fourth set to shut next month.
The Original Factory Shop is a discount department store chain which had over 180 branches across the UK.
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Three The Original Factory Shop branches across Scotland are set to close
Credit: Alamy
The retail chain sells a range of discounted products, like cleaning supplies, travel items and even some beauty products.
Customers can also pick up pet products, jewellery, drinks, perfume and footwear.
However, bosses have revealed that they are pulling down the shutters on nine shops across the UK this week.
This includes Scottish branches in Perth, as well as Arbroath, Angus, and Peterhead, Aberdeenshire.
All three stores will close for good on Saturday, June 28.
A fourth store in Cupar, Fife, will also close for good next month on Sunday, July 27.
The closures come after The Original Factory Shop was taken over by Modella Capital earlier this year.
The private equity firm, which is known for taking on struggling retailers, bought the retailer in February.
It then quickly launched a restructuring effort to renegotiate rents at 88 of the retail chain's stores.
Modella, which also recently acquired Hobbycraft and WHSmith's high street shops, drew up plans to initiate a Company Voluntary Arrangement in April.
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A CVA is a way of restructuring that means a business can continue trading while negotiating its debts, for example, by cutting rent costs with landlords.
And bosses told the Press and Journal at the time that a "number of loss-making stores will have to close" as part of the CVA.
They added: "Closing stores is always a tough decision and we are committed to keeping as many stores open as possible.
"This is, however, dependent on successful negotiations with landlords as we strive to build a sustainable and successful business for the future."
The full list of all nine stores across the UK that are set to close is:
Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire - June 26
Perth - June 28
Chester Le Street, County Durham - June 28
Arbroath, Angus - June 28
Kidwelly, Carmarthenshire - June 28
Pershore, Worcestershire - June 28
Normanton, West Yorkshire - June 28
Peterhead, Aberdeenshire - June 28
Shaftesbury, Dorset - June 28
Staveley, Cumbria - July 12
Cupar, Fife - July 27
Middlewich, Cheshire - TBC
Ten The Original Factory Shop shops also pulled the shutters down for the final time last year.
These were:
Brightlingsea, Essex
Bodmin, Cornwall
Chepstow, Wales
Fakenham, Norfolk
Harwich, Essex
Mildenhall, Suffolk
Padiham, Lancashire
Taunton, Somerset
Deal, Kent
Haverfordwest, Wales
Shoppers have been left gutted after hearing the news of the recent wave of closures.
Many have flocked to social media to share their disappointment.
Commenting on the Arbroath closure, one customer said: "Another one bites the dust on the high street."
A second, finding out about the Cupar branch shutting, said: "So sorry to see you're closing down."
Someone else shared: "Gutted that it's closing".
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