UK computer giant closes high street store in Oxford

Apple retailer, Western Computer, has shut its store in Gloucester Green.

Western Computer is a UK-based Apple Authorised Reseller and Apple Authorised Service Provider.

The company sells Apple products such as Macs, iPads, iPhones, and accessories, while also offering repairs, technical support, training, and business IT services.

The business was founded in 1984 and became one of the longest-established Apple specialists in the United Kingdom.

The brand has now merged with computer giant Albion Computers in 2024, leading to the closure of many shops

In 2024, Western Computer announced that its stores would gradually be rebranded as iStore locations rather than operating solely under the Western Computer name.

Western Computer originally operated out of a store on Broad Street, before moving to Gloucester Green.

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The store in Gloucester Green (Image: Google Maps)

The unit is now up for rent with agents Jackson Criss.

A planning application was submitted to Oxford City Council on December 20, 2024 to install a new shopfront in a unit in Westgate, which is occupied by Superdry.

The planning application was approved by the council in February 2025.

However the documents do not state which store or brand the new shopfront will accommodate, and much of what is publicly available has been redacted.

Rumours have began circulating that Apple could be taking over the unit, with the closest store 25 miles away in Reading.