American clothing chain Gap in Cornmarket is to close say staff.

Major discounts are being offered in a closing down sale at the city centre store, which has been a long-standing tenant of the Clarendon Centre.

Gap has confirmed it plans to close all its 81 stores in the UK and Ireland and go online-only.

The firm said it would close all its stores 'in a phased manner' before the end of September.

This includes 19 stores that were already scheduled to close in July as their leases were expiring.

The company has not disclosed how many employees the closures will affect, but will shortly start a consultation process with the staff.

The firm said it was not exiting the UK market and would continue to offer a web-based store when all the shops had closed.

The Clarendon Centre has announced a multi-million pound revamp but Gap will not be part of it say staff.

One member of staff said: "We have been told that our last day is July 24."

Oxford Mail:

Staff have been asking customers for their email addresses so they can market their products online.

Read again: Gap in Oxford to close for major relaunch

In 2019 Gap in Cornmarket rebranded as Gap Outlet but the change came in shortly before the pandemic.

A member of staff said at the time: “We are closing for a few days and relaunching as a Gap outlet store.

“It’s still a Gap store but there will be some cheaper products on sale.”

Oxford Mail:

Gap, an iconic clothing brand founded in 1969, owns stores across the UK, and many worldwide but sales have fallen in the face of competition from high street rivals H&M, Primark, and Zara.

The closure of Gap follows the end of Boswells department store which shut for good last year.

Jesus College is completing a multi-million pound revamp of Northgate House in the street which features new shop units and student accommodation.