Embattled retailer TG Jones is set to close its Southend High Street branch next month, as it presses ahead with its store restructuring programme.

The company will cease trading from the site on 26 September, with a closing-down sale offering shoppers discounts of up to 30 per cent.

The closure will also result in the loss of Southend’s main Post Office, which operates from the floor above the store. Customers will be directed to the nearest alternative branches on Sutton Road and Hamlet Court Road.

TG Jones said it recognised that the decision would be disappointing for employees, customers and the wider community, adding that its immediate priority was supporting affected staff while continuing to serve shoppers until the store closes.

“We would like to thank our colleagues in Southend for their valued contribution to TG Jones,” it said.

The closure follows the High Court’s approval of TG Jones’ restructuring plan on 1 July, which cleared the way for the retailer to close up to 150 stores as it seeks to reduce its lease liabilities and establish a smaller, more profitable estate.

TG Jones was created after private equity firm Modella Capital acquired WHSmith’s UK high street business in June 2025.

The transaction, originally agreed at an enterprise value of £76m, separated the high street chain from WHSmith’s travel retail business in airports, railway stations and hospitals.

The business operated 451 stores when the restructuring was approved, meaning roughly one-third of its estate could disappear under the overhaul.

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