Following the announcement that UK-based discount retailer The Works has shut down its failing online transactional website;

Zoe Mills, Head of UK Retail at GlobalData, a leading intelligence and productivity platform, offers her view:

“Shutting down its transactional website is an almost inevitable reaction from The Works to pivot focus to its more successful instore operations and protect profits to ensure long-term viability for the business. Yet, the downfall of its online operations is not a recent event; online sales have been falling since the end of the pandemic boom in 2020/21. Given the terminal decline of its online operations over the last four to five years, it calls into question whether this action could and should have been taken sooner.

“The removal of this online burden should have a positive impact on The Works’ business and enhance its prospects in 2026, despite the ongoing economic challenges in the UK. Its value focus will support it as shoppers trade down from mass market book retailers, including Waterstones and TG Jones, and craft retailers such as Hobbycraft, which has struggled itself.

“Furthermore, over the past two years, challenges with third-party fulfilment providers have weighed heavily on results and the profitability of online. These issues with its newest fulfilment partner meant that in its latest results for the Christmas period to 18 January 2026, its online capacity was limited, resulting in online sales declining 51.8% against an already very weak comparative. The challenge for The Works, if it had retained its online operations, would have been to rebuild online demand after reducing its marketing spend. This investment would have been an unnecessary risk for The Works, as its stores are well-placed to continue generating sales growth.”