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Jun
Joules to return to Harrogate after three-year absence
A family clothing retailer that shut its Harrogate shop three years ago is to return to the town, the Stray Ferret can reveal.
Joules had a shop on James Street – where Mint Velvet is currently located – for six years, but that closed, along with several other branches around the country, in 2023.
But now, a planning application lodged with North Yorkshire Council shows that the British brand is set to make a return to James Street, this time taking the spot currently occupied by outdoor outfitter Trespass.
Trespass in Harrogate will close soon.
The application submitted by The Harborough Hare Ltd, which trades as Joules, is for a "new wrap round fascia band above shopfront windows" with three backlit signs and a hanging sign featuring the Joules 'hare' logo, projecting from the shop.
Joules was founded in 1989 by Tom Joule, who rebranded his father's business and started designing and selling modern, more colourful versions of traditional country clothing.
He listed the company on London's junior AIM stockmarket in 2016, when the business was valued at £140 million.
But following the covid pandemic of 2020, the company went into administration in November 2022, and 19 branches closed. The Harrogate shop fell victim to a second wave of closures the following year.
Tom Joule bought the company out of administration in partnership with Next, and it is now expanding once more. It currently has 56 branches, and the new one in Harrogate looks set to be its 57th.
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