Lancaster Waterstones thanks customers for loyalty as it closes down

Waterstones has another shop in Lancaster, within Marketgate Shopping Centre.

The Bookseller website reported that Waterstones has made a number of redundancies at its London Piccadilly head office.

A spokeswoman for Waterstones said that the lease on the King Street building was coming to an end, and the company had decided not to renew it.

She said: "The lease is coming to an end and, with the shop having been temporarily closed since lockdown and with our Lancaster Cornmarket branch nearby, we took the difficult decision not to renew.

"We are very grateful for the loyal support of our customers over the years, and are pleased that Waterstones Lancaster Cornmarket will continue to welcome Lancaster’s reading community through its doors."

Anna Goddard, from Lancaster's Carnegie Publishing, said: "It really does feel as though the closure of Waterstones on King Street is the end of an era.

"The staff were incredibly supportive of small publishers and were always creative with their displays and events.

"They couldn’t have done more to attract customers, all of whom received a warm welcome and were enchanted by the wonderful character of the building.

"I think that all of us, whether walking or driving down King Street, will miss the quirky, interesting windows and everyone at Carnegie wishes the King Street team all the very best in whatever they do next.

"I am sure that the Corn Market branch will continue to provide an excellent range and great service, however, and it is good news that Lancaster will still have a Waterstones, arguably the best of the national chains."

A sign on the front door of the bookshop reads: "We regret to announce the closure of Waterstones Lancaster.

"For many years our book shop has been a firm part of the city's story and our book selling team have been proud to serve Lancaster's readers.

"The team at Waterstones Lancaster King Street thank you for your loyalty over the years and the very special opportunity to share in your love of a good book."

The King Street shop has held book launches, signings, and talks over the years, helping to give a platform for both local and national authors.More to follow...