Musselburgh B&M store closes next January

B&M confirms Musselburgh store will close in January with staff redeployed to nearby branches as high street strain continues.

B&M closes Musselburgh store in new high street setback

Musselburgh, East Lothian, will lose a B&M store when it closes in January next year. The retailer said staff will be offered roles at nearby branches, and the Fort Kinnaird store about two miles away will absorb the resources to maintain service in the area.

Shoppers have reacted with disappointment online as the town faces another hit to its retail options. B&M says the nearby Fort Kinnaird centre has been upgraded to offer a broader range, aiming to keep a strong shopping footprint in the area.

The closure illustrates how value retailers consolidate in larger centres while trimming outlying branches. This pattern can keep some jobs, but it also changes how residents access bargains and could reshape town centres for years. Local leaders will watch closely to see if redeployment sustains community retail life or simply concentrates it in a few big hubs, with policy and planning playing a bigger role than ever.

Highlights

The town will need more than new store openings to keep local shopping vibrant.