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After more than 60 years of trading one of the UK's favourite DIY stores is shutting the doors at 15 more stores this year with closures expected to begin this month. This is on top of the 8 stores the company has already shut as Topps Tiles joins the UK high street cull in 2026 bringing the total closures to 23, representing 7% of its 319-strong estate. Topps Tiles said eight of the "under-performing" stores had already closed, with the remainder to shut over the next six months.

The group - which employs about 1,850 workers - has not yet said which stores would close nor detail the impact of the closures on its workforce, but added it would offer affected staff jobs within the business where possible, leaving staff concerned for their futures. Hundreds of shops on the British high street are facing closures this including Claire's Accessories, GAME and The Original Factory Shop, while other retailers like TG Jones are warning of closures.

Topps Tiles chief executive Alex Jensen said the closures are being made to "support year-on-year growth and provide a stronger financial platform for 2027 and beyond".

The chain, which was founded in 1963, bought competitor CTD out of administration in 2024, a buyout that was later probed by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) who forced Topps Tiles to sell off a number of branches over concerns about competition.

Similarly, the company in December 2025 bought Fired Earth, another rival, for £3million when it fell into administration in October 2025.

The tile chain, based in Enderby, Leicestershire, said closing 7% of its 319-strong estate would help cut costs as part of "significant self-help measures".

The group, which employs about 1,850 workers, has not yet said which stores would close nor detail the impact of the closures on its workforce, but added it would offer affected staff jobs within the business where possible. However some job losses will be inevitable.

Following the 1963 opening, the company expanded across the North West and Midlands. In 1990, Topps Tiles merged with Tile Kingdom, which helped expand its presence into London and the South and the company became a public limited company (PLC) in 1997. By 1999, the estate had grown to 100 stores.

Mr Jensen added:"In light of subdued consumer sentiment and geopolitical uncertainty, as well as the cumulative impact of cost inflation, the management team is implementing a targeted programme of self-help measures weighted towards the second half," he said.

"These actions are designed to support year on year profit growth and provide a stronger financial platform for 2027 and beyond."

The group said sales fell slightly in the six months to 28 March. The DIY market in the UK has seen a downturn since the Pandemic due to the cost of living crisis. High inflation and cost pressures have forced consumers to focus on smaller, necessary maintenance projects rather than large-scale renovations.

A slowdown in housing transactions has also historically meant less demand for "fixer-upper" renovations.

Also as life has returned to normal post-pandemic, spending has shifted away from home improvements towards travel and leisure.