DEVASTATED shoppers sobbed at the “very sad news” a popular discount chain with more than 500 stores is closing for good.

With cost of living and soaring bills, many Brits are relying on charity shops and other second-hand outlets such as Vinted and eBay.

Bookworms and bargain hunters were disappointed to learn an Oxfam bookshop in Bishop’s Stortford, East Hertfordshire, was waving goodbye to customers.

An announcement on Facebook by a local councillor read: “It’s always sad to see shops close in the High Street (Oxfam bookstore closing in April – well in this case North Street).”

The organisation put the closure down to the area is no longer being a popular retail destination.

Loyal shoppers were saddened to hear the news and filled the comment section with their farewell messages.

“Oh what a shame,” penned one disappointed customer.

“Very sorry to see Oxfam bookshop go,” wrote another.

A third agreed: “Very sad news.”

Someone else shared: “That’s really sad. I drive up from Brighton twice a year and always visit this shop and pick something up.”

“I do all the charity shops but this one was so good for books and they even put them in author alphabetical order which makes selection so easy,” praised another.

“Oh, how sad,” agreed a fan.

An Oxfam spokesperson said: “We are regretfully shutting the Oxfam bookshop on North Street, mainly due to the fact that the area is longer a retail destination.

“We thank everyone for their custom over the years. We are however moving our books into our other Oxfam shop in Bishop’s Stortford, on South Street, which is a larger store and in a busier retail area.

“We will also be creating a dedicated music area in the South Street store. The bookshop store manager and most of our brilliant team of volunteers will also be moving to the South Street store.”

The Bishop’s Stortford branch is not the only beloved store closing down.

Oxfam currently has 548 shops open throughout the UK, however pulled the plug on many last year.

The locations where branches will be closing are:

• Alfreton
• Temple Fortune
• Worthing
• Kentish Town
• Arnold
• Grimsby
• Leigh
• Lee-on-the-Solent 

It comes as thousands of high street stores have waved goodbye in an epidemic of closures across the UK.

Even industry giants have fallen victim in recent months.

The Body Shop bosses recently called in administrators with a “significant number” of jobs and shops at risk as the brand is set to begin an insolvency processes.

Meanwhile, popular beauty retailer Boots has also sadly announced it will be closing 300 shops this year, following several closures in 2023.

And, discount food shop Lidl, have also seen their fair share of locations shut down.

The full list, of which there are 1,168 locations, includes sites across all areas of Great Britain – including: 66 in Scotland, 83 in Yorkshire, 83 in central England, 91 in south London and 42 in south-mid Wales.

Bargain hunters will also be devastated to learn the discount retailer B&M closed yet another shop.

It follows cost of living rises, energy bills soaring and even some businesses continuing to feel the knock-on effect from the Pandemic.

Shoppers have been forced to slash their spending while the cost of running stores has also increased.

Figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) this summer found the UK had lost 6,000 stores over a five-year period.