A MUCH-LOVED menswear shop that’s been dressing generations has confirmed it will be closing its doors for good – sparking heartbreak among loyal locals.
The closure comes as the owners prepare for retirement and the shop’s lease comes to an end.
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M Black & Sons, a staple of Widemarsh Street in Hereford since 1949, will shut down at the end of 2025.
The independent store has been a go-to for decades, known for its quality brands and personal service – with many residents saying it’s where they bought their first pair of jeans.
Locals have taken to Facebook to share their devastation at the news, with one saying: “So sad, an amazing shop and such lovely staff. End of an era.”
Another added: “Gutted. A proper shop with great clothes – they’ll be missed big time.”
The closure comes as two other Hereford city centre businesses also prepare to shut up shop.
Crosskeys Stores on Gomond Street also closed its doors for the last time on Saturday, March 8, announcing the decision in an emotional message on social media.
“It is with great sadness that we will be closing,” the post read.
“We will still be selling online and may pop up at events while stocks last.”
Staff thanked shoppers for their support over the past year, as they encouraged anyone interested to stop by during the final few trading days.
Meanwhile, BookMasters UK – based in Hereford’s Butter Market – is also packing up.
The owner confirmed: “Yes, sadly it’s true. We will be ceasing trade at the end of this week, at the latest.”
In a heartfelt farewell, the bookseller explained the business had become too difficult to maintain in the current climate, but added that freelance writing work would offer a safety net.
To shift remaining stock, all books , even hardbacks, are now going for just 50p.
Locals rallied in support, with one fan writing: “Absolutely heartbroken. Such a gem of a stall and so well run.”
Another posted: “This is why we need to support independents before they vanish.”
The news follows a string of closures across the UK, including the shock announcement that The Works is shutting its store on Margate High Street.
That closure comes as five more branches across the country either shut or prepare to close by the end of April, with the retailer citing standard business practices.
As the high street continues to battle cost pressures and changing shopping habits, it’s a bitter blow for Hereford – with three beloved independents now heading for the exit.
Other shops leaving the high street
Beales, one of Britain’s oldest department stores, has launched a closing down sale before it shuts its last remaining shop after more than 140 years.
The company will shut its branch in Poole’s Dolphin Centre on May 31.
The sale includes fashion, furniture, gifts and cosmetics, being sold for up to 70% off.
Beales chief executive Tony Brown blamed the “devastating impact” of the rise in national insurance contributions and the higher minimum wage for the store closure.
Meanwhile, high street fashion chain New Look has begun to close stores as it scales back its UK footprint.
It is understood to be shutting nearly 100 stores – equivalent to around a quarter of its 364 shops.
Stores in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, St Austell, Cornwall and Porth, Rhondda Cynon Taf have launched closing down sales.
Reports suggest that the company has been forced to accelerate the pace of store closures due to tax changes in the Autumn Budget.
Meanwhile, Huttons in London will shut its store in the Putney Exchange due to excessive energy costs.
The gift shop became a local icon after it opened in the 1990s.
RETAIL PAIN IN 2025
The British Retail Consortium has predicted that the Treasury’s hike to employer NICs will cost the retail sector £2.3billion.
Research by the British Chambers of Commerce shows that more than half of companies plan to raise prices by early April.
A survey of more than 4,800 firms found that 55% expect prices to increase in the next three months, up from 39% in a similar poll conducted in the latter half of 2024.
Three-quarters of companies cited the cost of employing people as their primary financial pressure.
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.”
Professor Bamfield has also 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.”
