Major UK coffee chain with 2,000 branches sees high street store suddenly close

The coffee giant is a staple on British high streets, but has now shut its doors to one of its branches permanently, leaving many local caffeine addicts heartbroken

One of the biggest names on the British high street is shutting doors to one of its branches.

Costa Coffee is a major staple on British high streets, known for its cheap and affordable beverages, as well as its sweet treats.

Now, one branch of the coffee giant has shut completely without warning, leaving customers and caffeine addicts in the area completely shocked. It comes as Costa faces a wave of closures up and down the country, putting pressure on the company.

Costa’s branch in Marlborough was a key centre of the community, but mysteriously closed its doors permanently without any warning. Several of the town’s residents were left in disbelief, wondering why the branch opted to shut down with no prior notice, leaving many disappointed.

However, this is not the only branch that has opted to close permanently, as a string of other cafés have also opted to close. One branch in Lyme Regis shut its doors in late April, and another in Whitstable in Kent turned the public away in late June – all with seemingly no warning.

Marlborough’s store officially closed to customers on July 17, but the chain itself is yet to publicly comment on why it opted to shut down. Instead, in a statement to The Sun, Costa said most of its workers were now being transferred to other branches across the county of Wiltshire.

“We can confirm that our High Street store in Marlborough closed for trade on July 17, 2025,” a spokesperson for the chain said. “The majority of our talented team members have relocated to Costa Coffee stores in surrounding areas.”

According to local media outlet Gazette and Herald, the entirety of the coffee shop has been completely stripped inside and outside, with no trace of the café franchise having ever been there. The immediate shut down has caused bewilderment amongst customers, who took to social media to vent their concerns.

One keen customer wrote of the news: “Such a terrible loss for the town – a family and community feel Costa.” While a second added: “It’s such a shame they’ve shut, was a great coffee shop.”

While no official reason has been given, many other franchise holders have admitted that the rise in National Insurance contributions from employers had been a factor in many companies going under. This is on top of other issues such as rental space, goods and the cost of utilities.

Costa is not alone in this slow shutting of its once major base of branches, as fashion shop River Island continues to fight to stay afloat. On Friday (August 8), it was revealed that the clothes shop would close 33 of its shops – resulting in hundreds of job losses.

On top of this, beloved low-cost shop Poundland said that 37 of its shops across the UK will also close in August as part of a major restructuring of the business. Game will also close its doors at five of its premises permanently throughout August and September.

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