Apple’s retail store in Basingstoke, England, will close permanently on Saturday, November 21, ending more than 15 years at the Festival Place shopping center. Apple has now confirmed the final trading date after announcing earlier this year that the location would close in November.
The store, which opened in August 2011, is Apple’s only retail location in Basingstoke. Customers who currently visit Festival Place for product purchases, Genius Bar appointments, and in-person advice will need to use another Apple Store once it closes.
Apple’s Festival Place retail page provides the store’s current details at Queen Anne’s Walk in Basingstoke. The company has thanked the local community for its support and previously said employees would have the opportunity to transfer to other Apple Store locations.
The nearest alternative for Basingstoke customers will be Apple The Oracle in Reading, approximately 18 miles away. Apple WestQuay in Southampton, roughly 30 miles away, is another option. Customers can also continue ordering products online and arranging support through Apple or authorized service providers.
Apple is investing in a larger, redesigned retail space at The Oracle, with plans to reopen the updated Reading store in December. The new location is expected to feature a dedicated Apple Pickup area, an improved and more accessible Genius Bar, and a space where customers can explore Apple products.
The Reading project has been on Apple’s radar for several years. The Apple Post reported on plans to relocate the Reading store in 2023, while a redesign of Apple’s Lakeside store in Essex is another example of the company’s recent investment in its UK retail locations.
Apple has not publicly specified why it is permanently closing Festival Place. The decision comes alongside the expansion in Reading, but the company has not described the Basingstoke closure as the direct result of that project. For customers who want to visit the Basingstoke store before it shuts, November 21 is its last scheduled day of business.