IT’S the final curtain call for a British homeware brand that has been in business for nearly 120 years.
As it shuts its last ever UK store and launches a mega “final clearance” sale on its remaining stock.
Independent furniture retailer Sturtons & Tappers has announced it will be closing, bringing an end to almost 120 years[/caption]
Independent store Sturtons & Tappers Furnishings announced that its Winton store in Bournemouth will permanently close this Saturday at 5pm.
The store’s permanent closure is due to the retirement plans of directors David and Pauline Scott.
Some of couple’s colleagues are also set for retirement.
The renowned retailer is famous in Bournemouth for its timeless sofas, bespoke furniture, luxurious carpets, dining sets, lighting, and home accessories.
For generations, they have proudly furnished thousands of homes across the region.
The business held a closing down sale, earlier this year, which saw customers queuing down the street to grab bargains.
But now, the 70-year-old couple have said that “everything must go” for the final time including furniture, beds, cabinets, and rugs.
Also included in the clearance are accessories, homewares, and linens.
A spokesperson recently warned: “This is the public’s last chance to snap up premium home furnishings at never-to-be-repeated prices.”
David and Pauline have stated that they are excited for their new chapter.
But they were still ‘incredibly grateful’ to their loyal customers across the years.
They previously explained: “This is a bittersweet moment.
“We’ve had the privilege of furnishing thousands of homes across generations.
“While we’re excited for the next chapter, we’re incredibly grateful to all our loyal customers.
Why are retailers closing stores?
RETAILERS have been feeling the squeeze since the pandemic, while shoppers are cutting back on spending due to the soaring cost of living crisis.
High energy costs and a move to shopping online after the pandemic are also taking a toll, and many high street shops have struggled to keep going.
However, additional costs have added further pain to an already struggling sector.
The British Retail Consortium has predicted that the Treasury’s hike to employer NICs from April will cost the retail sector £2.3billion.
At the same time, the minimum wage will rise to £12.21 an hour from April, and the minimum wage for people aged 18-20 will rise to £10 an hour, an increase of £1.40.
The Centre for Retail Research (CRR) has also warned that around 17,350 retail sites are expected to shut down this year.
It comes on the back of a tough 2024 when 13,000 shops closed their doors for good, already a 28% increase on the previous year.
Professor Joshua Bamfield, director of the CRR said: “The results for 2024 show that although the outcomes for store closures overall were not as poor as in either 2020 or 2022, they are still disconcerting, with worse set to come in 2025.”
It comes after almost 170,000 retail workers lost their jobs in 2024.
End-of-year figures compiled by the Centre for Retail Research showed the number of job losses spiked amid the collapse of major chains such as Homebase and Ted Baker.
It said its latest analysis showed that a total of 169,395 retail jobs were lost in the 2024 calendar year to date.
This was up 49,990 – an increase of 41.9% – compared with 2023.
It is the highest annual reading since more than 200,000 jobs were lost in 2020 in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced retailers to shut their stores during lockdowns.
The centre said 38 major retailers went into administration in 2024, including household names such as Lloyds Pharmacy, Homebase, The Body Shop, Carpetright and Ted Baker.
Around a third of all retail job losses in 2024, 33% or 55,914 in total, resulted from administrations.
Experts have said small high street shops could face a particularly challenging 2025 because of Budget tax and wage changes.
Professor Bamfield has warned of a bleak outlook for 2025, predicting that as many as 202,000 jobs could be lost in the sector.
“By increasing both the costs of running stores and the costs on each consumer’s household it is highly likely that we will see retail job losses eclipse the height of the pandemic in 2020.”
“This sale is our way of saying thank you.”
David and Pauline added: “After so many years serving the community, the response to our retirement has been both humbling and overwhelming.
“We are deeply grateful for the support we’ve received and hope to welcome customers one last time before closing.”
