National retailer closes its doors in Chichester city centre
Outdoor retailer Blacks has closed its Chichester store, leaving an empty unit in South Street.
Signs in the windows confirm the shop has shut.
A handwritten message on the door simply says: "This store is now closed. Goodbye Chi.”
Customers were directed to the company’s Millets branches, in Fareham and Worthing, as well as Blacks in Newport, Isle of Wight. People are also invited to visit the Go Outdoors website.
Blacks and GO Outdoors are both owned by JD Sports Fashion as part of its outdoors division.
Blacks traces its history back to 1861 and sells outdoor clothing, footwear, camping and walking equipment, stocking brands including The North Face, Rab, Berghaus and Salomon.
The closure comes amid a wider restructuring of the Blacks brand. According to media reports, only 22 Blacks stores remained open across the UK, in May 2026, with many former branches having been converted to Go Outdoors stores. JD Sports acquired the business for £20 million in 2012, following a period of financial difficulty.
In recent years, stores in cities including Glasgow, Sheffield, Leicester and Bury St Edmunds have closed or been rebranded, while JD Sports has invested in a small number of flagship Blacks stores as part of a strategy to reposition the retailer as a premium outdoor brand.
It is not known what will replace the now-vacant store in one of Chichester's main shopping streets.
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