Waterstones to close two stores but open one in Wimbledon

Waterstones is set to close two of its longstanding stores this summer at opposite ends of the UK – London’s Oxford Street Plaza and Edinburgh’s George Street branch.

However, the company is set to open a new store in Wimbledon after it was “unceremoniously” evicted from its previous store there earlier this year.

Waterstones has announced that it is due to close its Oxford Street Plaza and Edinburgh George Street branches because of “landlord redevelopment” on both sites.

The Oxford Street Plaza branch will close for good later this month, while the Edinburgh branch will shut in mid-July.

Booksellers will be redeployed to nearby stores in Tottenham Court Road in London and Princes Street in Edinburgh.

In more positive news, the retailer is set to open a new bookshop in Wimbledon after it was evicted from its last site along with WH Smith to make way for a Metro Bank. The site is among the areas earmarked for re-development by Crossrail 2 plans.

The new Wimbledon bookshop will based on The Broadway and due to open this autumn.

 James Daunt, m.d of Waterstones, said he now sees the Wimbledon eviction as a “blessing in disguise”.

 “Having been so unceremoniously evicted from Wimbledon earlier this year, Waterstones is delighted to have found a new home,” he said.  In fact, we can now even think of it as a blessing in disguise. We will return with a spanking new shop in very nice premises on The Broadway and we look forward greatly to welcoming back our customers.”