Kingston’s Bentall Centre will see significant retail changes after a number of high-street staples announced closures in the famous shopping centre.

HMV, one of the biggest single stores in the centre, is closing down on October 8 to move into a much smaller unit on the ground floor.

An HMV worker said cheaper rent was one of the reasons for the move. The music shop will take up one one of the spaces next to McDonalds where Toys R Us and Cafe Giardino were based.

The Italian-style cafe was one of the oldest Bentall Centre tenants, having opened in 2001. It closed on August 19.

A statement from management attached to the empty shop window reads: “We would like to thank you for visiting over the past 15 years. It has been a great pleasure to serve you all.”

Neighbours Toys R Us shut earlier this month after two years in the town.

A spokeswoman claimed the store, where Hollywood star Angelina Jolie was spotted buying Lego for her children in April, was a “pop-up” and always set to close.

She said: “Toys R Us have said a temporary goodbye to Kingston as their store has come to a natural closure. We have been in Kingston since 2014 and have enjoyed our welcome, however the store was a pop-up temporary store that has come to the end of its term.

“We are always on the look out for new units which would fit our location briefs.”

The closures come just four months after four major chains – Lidl in Adams Walk, BHS in Alderman Judge Mall, Austin Reed in the Bentall Centre and Cargo in Eden Walk – announced they would close.

BHS collapsed into administration in April leaving a multi-million pound tax bill and putting 11,000 jobs across the country at risk.

Remaining stores across the country closed on Sunday.

Kingston staff held a closing down party to commemorate their time there.

Surrey Comet:

BHS staff held a "closing down" party

Emma O’Donnell, former commercial manager of BHS Kingston, said: “We want to show the positivity behind the story—the fact that despite us all losing our jobs the team in Kingston has a real family feel and remained upbeat to the very end.

“Sunday saw the last trading day at BHS. Massive queues formed outside both entrances more than an hour before we opened and the store closed an hour earlier than usual as all the stock had sold out.

“Most of the team have already been successful in securing new employment, either with other retailers in Kingston or in new sectors.”