Key Summary
- Cancer Research UK to close 190 shops across Britain due to rising costs and changing shopping habits.
- The charity says changing shopping habits and growing online competition have hurt store performance.
- Despite the closures, the chairty plans to focus on stronger-performing stores and new superstores to keep funding cancer research.
Noted British charity, Cancer Research UK has shut its Aberdeen branch and plans to close other 190 shops across the country by next year.
According to media reports, the charity has been forced to take the decision due to the rising costs and evolving shopping habits.
It will close 90 shops by the end of this month, with another 100 closures by next April.
The charity attempted a retail restructuring in October 2025, however, it did not help to cope with the growing monetary crisis.
It had already shut its online marketplace in the beginning of this year, so it no longer provides pre-owned goods through external resale websites.
As per Cancer Research UK, financially underperforming stores are selected for closure along with the considering their geographical position, lease agreements, etc.
Decreasing footfall on Britain’s high streets with soaring competitions across digital platforms also forced the charity into closures.
However, the charity also announced that it would continue functioning via the remaining 320 high performing stores across Britain.
The charity says this is preventive measure to stop its further downfall, while it is strategically expanding its out-of-town shops, and going to open 12 superstores to grow further, with the goal to attain a surplus £12.4 million for scientific research for the coming five years, over the £225 million from its retail operations from the past decade.
The charity’s chief executive, Michelle Mitchell, commented that small but high-performing retail outlets are their current need to remain profitable and to be able to fund cancer research, support customers, staff as well as the volunteers.
