Housewares Business-to-business magazine for housewares retailers and their suppliers
London kitchenware and hardware store Bert & Betty closed its doors on Saturday March 2 , following four years of trading in the south-east of the capital.
Store owner Sophie Jarman said that shutting the 30sq ft store on Greenwich’s South Street was a “hard decision, based partly on the last year’s trading figures, but I felt that to thrive, the business needed major investment – with perhaps some service provision behind the retail front -which would have required more time and money than I feel able to provide at the moment.”
Meanwhile, Kate’s Cook Shop in the Leicestershire town of Melton Mowbray is closing at the end of this month. Owner Katie Jacques took the decision in order to spend more time with her family; she recently gave birth to a daughter, Isla. “I’ve loved my time in the industry and I’m sad to goodbye,” she said. “But Isla needs me more than Melton Mowbray needs cookware and it’s the right choice for my family.”
Finally, Cookmate Kitchen Shop in the Hereford town of Herefordshire is pulling the shutters down at the end of April after 25 years of trading. The proprietors Andrew and Clare McElhayer said they are retiring after “trying to sell our shop, but sadly to no avail.” They added: “Our abiding memory will be of a great industry, full of nice people, which we feel privileged to have been a part of.”
