ONE of Britain’s oldest shops has been forced to shut after 160 years due to soaring bills.
WH Mogford & Son in Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol has been serving customers in its “Aladdin’s Cave” hardware store since the 1860s.
Jon RowleyW.H.Mogford & Son in Bristol has closed after 160 years[/caption] Jon RowleyThe ‘Aladdin’s Cave’ hardware store has been open since the 1860s[/caption] Jon RowleyOwner Paul Gillam, 57, said rising bills and decreased footfall have forced him to close[/caption]Owner Paul Gillam, who has spent 30 years working at the shop, said it was time to close permanently due to rocketing bills.
He told The Sun: “It’s a culmination of footfall dropping off, banks closing in the high street, people shopping online, and the cost of amenities, bills and staffing costs.
“It wasn’t an easy decision. It’s taken me a couple of years to come to the decision to close down.
“I’m disappointed for the regular customers but it’s the right decision at this time.”
Paul, 57, added: “I will take a couple of weeks off then I need to find another job.”
The shop, which serves a once bustling high street on the outskirts of Bristol, will pull down the shutters for the last time in September.
One Bristol local, who grew up nearby, described the imminent store closure as “terrible news”.
Another replying to Paul’s post on Facebook breaking the news, replied: “Very sorry to hear this.
“I have known the shop my entire life.
“There will be many many saddened people when they hear this news.
“Mogfords has been a much loved and relied upon business in the village throughout generations.”
Another said: “You will be very much missed. My sons call your shop ‘the shop that sells everything’.”
“As a fellow business owner I am aware of the significant rise in operating costs over the last few years. I can’t imagine how difficult this decision has been for you.
“On behalf of the local community a huge thank you and best wishes for your next ‘chapter’.”
Jon RowleyLocals were saddened to hear of the shop’s closure[/caption] Jon RowleyThe shop will close for good in September[/caption]It comes as shops across the country struggle to survive in the changing consumer landscape.
Both chain stores and independents have closed at an alarming rate, citing decreased footfall and rising prices as the reason behind the closures.
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Research by the British Chambers of Commerce shows that more than half of companies plan to raise prices by early April.
A survey of more than 4,800 firms found that 55% expect prices to increase in the next three months, up from 39% in a similar poll conducted in the latter half of 2024.
Three-quarters of companies cited the cost of employing people as their primary financial pressure.
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.”
Professor Bamfield has also 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.”
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