Jacksons The Shoe People 70th Anniversary, Hunstanton, outside the shop in Westgate, LtoR, Mavis Leeson, manageress Susanne Durston, Debbie Ward, Dawn Davies, Ken Leeson.A SHOE shop which has been in Hunstanton for 29 years has ceased trading after warning before Christmas that it was fighting for survival.
Jackson’s The Shoe People, at Westgate, closed its doors for the last time on February 18, after 73 years in business, with director Dawn Davies saying she knew of other shops in the town struggling to keep going.
She said: “It’s been a gradual decline in Hunstanton since we lost Woolworths and it got so bad that we couldn’t survive – and I don’t think we will be the last.”
Jackson’s laid off its two staff, including one lady who had been with it for 27 years, before Christmas and then tried diversifying by introducing a dress agency, but it was not enough.
Mrs Davies said Jackson’s found it difficult to get quality footwear after two shoe brands went out of business, and on top of that came the demise of Woolworths and the effect that had on the town.
She said: “After fighting the economic downturn we can no longer continue to trade.”
Recently Kevan Fleming, owner of Legge menswear and women’s fashions in Hunstanton High Street, also warned that traders in the town were experiencing extreme difficulty because of lack of customers.
He said problems stemmed from three years ago when Woolworths closed, as that store had been the “heartbeat to Hunstanton” and when it closed it was “the biggest nail in the coffin” for the town.
Mr Fleming, who has been in business in the town for 36 years, urged West Norfolk Council to plough some of the revenue it received from Hunstanton, and particularly from car parking fees, back into the resort.
In December, Mr Fleming and Mrs Davies urged town centre manager Alistair Cox, who said Hunstanton had a loyal customer base and was performing above the national average for empty shops, to spend more time going around the shops and talking to the traders.
In response, a borough council spokesman said the authority realised traders were facing huge challenges and it was holding roadshows to work together with businesses to find ways to help keep its towns trading.
Jackson’s was originally founded in Leicester in 1938 and opened a shop in Chapel Street, Lynn, in July 1972.
The business moved to Hunstanton in 1983 and marked its 70th anniversary in 2008 by holding a day of 1940s’ memorabilia and nostalgia, with food, drink and music of that era.
Jackson’s The Shoe People, at Westgate, closed its doors for the last time on February 18, after 73 years in business, with director Dawn Davies saying she knew of other shops in the town struggling to keep going.
She said: “It’s been a gradual decline in Hunstanton since we lost Woolworths and it got so bad that we couldn’t survive – and I don’t think we will be the last.”
Jackson’s laid off its two staff, including one lady who had been with it for 27 years, before Christmas and then tried diversifying by introducing a dress agency, but it was not enough.
Mrs Davies said Jackson’s found it difficult to get quality footwear after two shoe brands went out of business, and on top of that came the demise of Woolworths and the effect that had on the town.
She said: “After fighting the economic downturn we can no longer continue to trade.”
Recently Kevan Fleming, owner of Legge menswear and women’s fashions in Hunstanton High Street, also warned that traders in the town were experiencing extreme difficulty because of lack of customers.
He said problems stemmed from three years ago when Woolworths closed, as that store had been the “heartbeat to Hunstanton” and when it closed it was “the biggest nail in the coffin” for the town.
Mr Fleming, who has been in business in the town for 36 years, urged West Norfolk Council to plough some of the revenue it received from Hunstanton, and particularly from car parking fees, back into the resort.
In December, Mr Fleming and Mrs Davies urged town centre manager Alistair Cox, who said Hunstanton had a loyal customer base and was performing above the national average for empty shops, to spend more time going around the shops and talking to the traders.
In response, a borough council spokesman said the authority realised traders were facing huge challenges and it was holding roadshows to work together with businesses to find ways to help keep its towns trading.
Jackson’s was originally founded in Leicester in 1938 and opened a shop in Chapel Street, Lynn, in July 1972.
The business moved to Hunstanton in 1983 and marked its 70th anniversary in 2008 by holding a day of 1940s’ memorabilia and nostalgia, with food, drink and music of that era.
No comments:
Post a Comment