It's one step forward and two steps back for a West Swindon retail park with another giant retailer announcing it will be closing its doors there for good.

Next Home at Manning Retail Park has provided a statement to Wiltshire Live confirming the branch there will be leaving in September. 

This comes just after TK Maxx recently moved into the unit that was previously occupied by John Lewis, which closed in March 2020 because of the pandemic and did not reopen because it claimed it wasn't 'financially viable' to do so. 

In the statement, a spokesperson said: "We can confirm that our Swindon Mannington Park store will be closing in September.

But, despite claims made on Facebook that increasing rental costs at the retail park were the cause for the businesses' decision, the Next spokesperson declined to further comment on the reason why.

"Unfortunately we can't disclose any more information at this time." 

The store is believed to have employed around 45 staff.

The Next Home store has been at the West Swindon location for ten years after it was first announced as coming in June 2012.

News of its arrival was welcomed enthusiastically by residents at the time. 

For example, Rosemary Wells, of Swindon Chamber of Commerce, said: “The opening of Next at Home will be sending positive messages out about Swindon that new stores are opening and therefore retail has that potential."

Swindon Advertiser: The opening of the Next Home in Mannington Retail Park with store manager Donna Deacon and area manager Richard West cutting the ribbon Picture: SIOBHAN BOYLEThe opening of the Next Home in Mannington Retail Park with store manager Donna Deacon and area manager Richard West cutting the ribbon Picture: SIOBHAN BOYLE

The store officially opened a few months later in December 2012 with over 100 people queuing to be among the first to set foot inside it on the first day. 

Following its opening, a spokesperson for Next praised Mannington Retail Park as a retail location 

A spokesman for Next said: “We are delighted to be opening a new home store in Swindon.

“We believe that Mannington Retail Park is an ideal location and with no other Next Home stand-alone in the area, shoppers in Swindon will have an interior destination offering everything for the home from rustic furniture, made-to-measure blinds and bedrooms and statement wallpaper.”

This move will see the closure of the only Next Home store that there is in the town, with fans having to travel to Bristol at Cribbs Home & Garden or Cheltenham at Gallagher Retail Park.

It will also mean that the Costa Coffee inside the store will be closing as well.

The Adver has approached Next for further comment about the closure but has not had a response at the time of writing.