is shutting another high street store this month as part of a string of closures already this year.

The major fashion chain is set to close its branch in Porth, Rhondda Cynon Taf, on February 22. According to a report by , the closure will leave the town "without a national clothing retailer".

In response to the announcement, the District Chamber of Trade has written to the Chancellor, the local MP and MS, the Welsh Government, the UK Government’s levelling up department, the Department for Business and Trade, and Rhondda Cynon Taf (RCT) Council to highlight the challenges facing Porth’s high street following the announcement.

The retailer has not confirmed the reason behind the move, however, Porth and District Chamber of Trade's decision to close the branch was based on Chencellor's Autumn and the lease end date. The closure will be the third by the fashion chain already this year.

READ MORE:

READ MORE:

Last month, two New Look stores pulled their shutters down for good, with the first store in Essex going on January 24. The Wickford branch - which first opened in 2009 - closed after the landlord decided to reclaim the property. After shutting down, the closest New Look store for local shoppers is its Basildon branch. The second closure of the year so far was the fashion retailer Bracknell store at Bracknell Peel Centre. The site pulled down the shutters on January 30. It is uncertain how many workers have been - and are set to be - affected by the moves. Overall, New Look employs around 8,000 staff nationwide.

On the Bracknell closure, a New Look spokesperson said: "We would like to thank all of our colleagues and the local community for their support over the years. We hope customers continue to shop with us online at Newlook.com, where our full product ranges can be found.”

Earlier this year, the Times reported that the chain was looking to "accelerate future store closures" when leases expire. The newspaper said this was due to the tax increases revealed in October’s budget. According to the report, around a quarter of its 364 UK stores - around 91 sites - could be at risk of closure.

New Look did not officially confirm this plan, although it did say that it did, on occasion, have to close stores due to external reasons. They also did not confirm the number of stores potentially at risk. A New Look spokesperson told The Times: “Our store estate is an important part of our business, alongside our best-in-class website and app. It is this omni-channel approach which allows us to best serve our 10 million customers however they like to shop.

“We have recently invested over £3 million in our stores in Greater Manchester to trial new omni-channel initiatives to improve customer experience. Using the learnings from these trials, we are now upgrading a further 17 stores across the country. We also continue to invest in our thriving online platform which has resulted in a strong online sales performance, with volumes significantly outpacing last year and an improved online margin.”

“On occasion we do have to close stores, either due to the landlord’s request or because the site becomes unviable. However, we always remain on the lookout for appropriate new opportunities across the country and continue to invest in our existing store estate.”

READ MORE: