A BOURNEMOUTH premium menswear retailer is due to close its doors to customers following an acquisition by the Frasers Group.

John Anthony will cease trading in April 2024 after being open in Bournemouth for more than 40 years.

The clothes shop in Gervis Place is set to close following a ‘decline in customers’ and ‘issues relating to the lease.’

A spokesperson for John Anthony said: “It is a shame to see it go.”

Frasers Group has confirmed its acquisition of the retailer for an undisclosed sum.

Established in 1979, John Anthony is one of the longest-running independent men’s fashion retailers in the UK.

A spokesperson for John Anthony’s Bournemouth branch said: “We plan to close in April, but it may be sooner because the stock is selling out fast.

“Our customers have been shopping here for a long time; many of them are very upset about the closure.”

The staff explained that a lack of business following the Covid-19 pandemic and low footfall in the town centre are partly to blame for the closure.

The unit has been bought by the Frasers Group, the parent group of Sports Direct and Flannels, and House of Frasier department stores.