IT HAS been a tough year for retail, with many shops still feeling the effects of the pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis impacting sales.

Various high-street stores have been forced to close branches across the country, and Basingstoke has seen the impact of this in the town centre and retail parks, with many shops having to shut for good.

Here we look at some of the much-loved shops we said goodbye to in the town in 2022.

The Little Barn Health and Gift Shop at Scrapps Hill Farm

Customers said a sad farewell to independent business The Little Barn Health and Gift Shop in August, after owner Sue Foley decided to close when the lease ran out.

The mother-of-one, who opened the shop in 2007, went through a difficult time after being diagnosed with stage four ovarian cancer at the beginning of the year, and finding out she has two brain tumours affecting her hearing and balance.

She told customers: “Unfortunately the past couple of years with the lockdowns and especially the last few months with illness have dealt us a big blow.”

Joules in Festival Place

British lifestyle brand Joules closed its Basingstoke store on August 26.

The retailer shut for good in Festival Place less than three years after opening in December 2019.

Cutting Edge Fabrics Brighton Hill

Cutting Edge Fabrics closed its store in Brighton Hill after its 15-year lease expired in September.

Bosses said they had been priced out of renewing the agreement because of a rent increase.

A note to customers posted on the store’s window thanked them for their “support and kindness over the years”.

Poundstretcher in Hatch Warren

The discount store at the Hatch Warren Retail Park permanently closed on October 13.

Manager Rosalie Shannon said many customers were sad to see it go and said the store’s 10 staff only found out about the closure a week beforehand.

She added: “The management did say that the lease was up and they were trying to renegotiate the lease, but I think the rent was still too high."

Poundstretcher’s profits were reported to have halved in the financial year to March 2022. However, the retailer said it was still pushing ahead with a store expansion plan.

Jack Wills Festival Place

Festival Place said goodbye to clothes shop Jack Wills in November.

A statement from the shopping centre said: “We understand that people will be disappointed and we are sad to see them leave.”