A POPULAR stationery and gifts chain which has just a single branch in Wales looks set to be closing its shop in a Gwent town.

Shoppers in Abergavenny have spotted ‘closing down’ signs in the windows of the Neon Sheep store this week, which only opened in the town in 2019.

No official date has been given for when the store will close, however, the Argus has approached representatives of Neon Sheep for more information.

It’s understood that the store is currently selling off all of its stock ahead of a rebranding.

Neon Sheep was set up in 2018 as a new venture by Mountain Warehouse founder Mark Teale, himself from Abergavenny. It currently has 13 stores across the UK.

At the time, the store in Abergavenny was one of ten new Neon Sheep openings in the UK.

Mr Teale set up Mountain Warehouse back in 1997 and now has more than 330 stores in the UK, as well as stores in Europe, New Zealand, and North America.

He brought his new venture, Neon Sheep, to the Abergavenny after space became available following Mountain Warehouse relocation into the former Burtons unit on High Street.

A number of Neon Sheep stores closed last week, with both its Lincoln and Eastbourne shops shutting.

It’s closure is a strange turn of events for Abergavenny, which has seen many of its independent businesses enjoying a healthy amount of success despite the lockdowns.

What’s been said about the closure?

Although there’s been no official word from Neon Sheep’s representatives on the future of the store in Abergavenny – it’s thought that the retailer has struggled to hit back from covid lockdowns.

Covid struggles has been largely hinted as the reason behind its closures in Lincoln and Eastbourne.