Accessorize in Harrogate is to reopen next week — but its sister shop Monsoon has permanently closed.
The two shops shared a unit at 20-22 James Street, where customers visited Monsoon, via the James Street entrance and Accessorize via a door at the back.
Both closed last month and although signs in the window said ‘sorry, we’re closed but this isn’t goodbye forever’ and ‘be right back’, the unit was described as ‘permanently closed’ on Google.
This prompted speculation neither business would return but as reported by the Stray Ferret, the site will reopen after the refit.
Gifts and homeware specialist Accessorize will welcome customers back on Friday, May 17 — but Monsoon will not return.
Accessorize storefront Harrogate
An Accessorize spokesperson told the Stray Ferret today:
“The Monsoon shop has now closed, and this is now only an Accessorize store with a homeware focus.”
Accessorize told the Stray Ferret the refurbished store will offer “a more diverse selection of gifting categories such as bridal, home and summer”, as well as self-care and men’s gifting products.
Paul Thomas, retail director at Accessorize said:
“We are excited to introduce our customers to our exciting new store concept of gifting and homeware.
“The new design store and gifting collection is just some of the many exciting features we have in store for our customers, and we can’t wait for them to experience everything the store has to offer.”
Accessorize will officially reopen May 17 at 9.30am. The closest Monsoon store will now be York.
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Harrogate clothes shop closes for refurbishment
A prominent James Street store has closed to undergo refurbishment.
The unit at 20-22 James Street houses two shops, Monsoon, with the James Street entrance and sister shop, Accessorize with the Marketplace store front.
Monsoon & Accessorize is currently closed, but the Stray Ferret understands the store is due to reopen after a refit.
The store is listed as permanently closed on Google, which raised confusion around the shop returning.
The Stray Ferret contacted the company for confirmation but Monsoon Accessorize declined to comment, stating that commenting on shop openings and closures is against company policy.
The women’s fashion retailer currently has notices displayed in both windows, which say “sorry, we’re closed but this isn’t goodbye forever” and “be right back”.
It comes as the company submitted plans to North Yorkshire Council for new signage this year.
London based Adena Services Ltd applied for a ‘halo lit fascia signage to existing retail unit’. The new signage is proposed to be coral, gold and illuminated.
Proposed shop front
The unit is the second shop on James Street to have closed for refit and later appear on Commercial Rightmove in recent weeks.
The Rightmove listing describes the site as:
“Available on a new full repairing and insuring lease for a term of years to be agreed in multiples of 5 with 5 yearly upward only rent reviews.”
The closed sign currently displayed in Monsoon’s window
The company behind Monsoon Accessorize was founded in the 1970s but went into administration in 2020 due to trading issues during the pandemic and closed multiple stores across the country.
The Harrogate store survived the closures after company founder Peter Simon brought Monsoon Accessorize out of administration.
Accessorize storefront Harrogate
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Preloved clothing shop to open in Harrogate today
A clothes shop selling preloved, designer and high-street womenswear is due to launch in Harrogate today (April 18).
Preloved Chic Harrogate will be located in Windsor House on Cornwall Road. The business is co-owned by Harrogate women Cat Stanford, 52, and Kate Watts, 49 who said they aim to offer the town’s shoppers a sustainable alternative.
Ms Stanford has been in the fashion industry for over 30 years and has been offering a preloved service for the past four years. The duo met when Ms Watts was a customer and proposed becoming a business partner.
The move to Windsor House marks a new start for the business.
Windsor House was built as a hotel in 1900 and is now used mainly as contemporary office space.
It underwent a refurbishment to create a co-working space, meeting area and café in 2022.
The building, which overlooks the town’s Valley Gardens, is home to over 100 businesses, and covers 75,000 sq ft.
Inside Preloved Chic
Ms Stanford and Ms Watts said in a joint statement:
“Harrogate lacks a place where ladies can come and shop for amazing pieces at greatly discounted prices, you can buy a Stella McCartney Jacket for less than a third of the original price and a beautiful dress from Zara new with tags.
“Everything that we sell is preloved with most of it never worn, still with the original tags. Sustainability and recycling is huge now and we felt that we needed to offer this to the ladies of Harrogate.”
The store will be open every day except Mondays. Personal shopping appointments will be available in store.
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E-cigarette shop opens in Knaresborough
An e-cigarette shop has opened on Knaresborough High Street.
Kings Lites is based in the former Yorkshire Building Society unit that has been vacant since 2018.
The e-cigarette specialist already has two stores in York and is looking at opening a fourth site, with Harrogate on its radar.
Former professional boxer Zak Collins, founder and director of Kings Lites, said the store aimed to help smokers quit and move onto e-cigarettes.
Mr Collins said:
“It is a healthier alternative to smoking and saves you a fortune. Cigarettes now cost around £17 a pack, if you switch to e-cigarettes you are saving around £120 a week if you smoke a pack a day, that can add up to a family holiday.
“It is also better for the environment and we have recyclable vape bins in our stores.”
Mr Collins said he grew up following a healthy lifestyle but his parents smoked and he watched his mum struggle to quit using replacement products.
When she eventually managed it using an e-cigarette, Mr Collins had his “lightbulb moment” and opened the Acomb store in York to help others.
‘We have received a lot of hate’
A social media post by the company announcing its opening said the Knaresborough shop would “help, serve and advise the local community on living a much healthier and finically beneficial lifestyle”.
Mr Collins said a 2021 NHS review found people who used e-cigarettes to quit smoking were up to twice as likely to succeed as people who used other nicotine replacement products, such as patches or gum.
But he added there remained a stigma around e-cigarette stores. When Kings Lites announced its new location, it received a backlash on this Knaresborough Facebook group for what it does and its colourful frontage.
Mr Collins said:
“It is completely shocking, the shops in York have always gone down really well. We have received a lot of hate opening the new shop and it is difficult to understand and quite insulting.
“There is a market for us in Knaresborough and we offer a huge selection. The shop is a big change for the High Street but things are bound to change and the colour is just to draw people in, the ones in York are the same.
“I just hope people will give us a chance to show who we are. We haven’t set out to upset anyone or be garish we are just trying to help people quit smoking and give the people of Knaresborough a healthier alternative.”
Mr Collins didn’t comment on today’s vote to ban smoking and vaping for children born since 2009 but said:
“Children vaping is horrendous and the entire industry gets tarnished because of it. We take pride in offering people a healthier alternative.”
He said the company planned to “strike while the iron is hot” by expanding, adding it was looking at potential sites in the Harrogate area to open its fourth store.
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Polish shop in Harrogate moves to bigger premises as demand grows
A Polish deli in Harrogate will relaunch in new town centre premises at the weekend.
Cracovia, which used to occupy a small shop on King’s Road, will reopen on Saturday in a larger unit on Bower Street.
Owner Maciek Bujakowski told the Stray Ferret:
“Our little shop on King’s Road had become slightly too small, so we’re moving to a bigger shop where we’ll have more space. The uniqueness of our home-made products, such as pâtés, meatloaves and sausages, gives us a strength over other shops, so we’ve become quite popular.
“If you come along on Saturday between 9am and 6pm, you’ll be able to taste different kinds of Polish food and drink, and everybody’s welcome.”
The new shop on Bower Street in Harrogate.
Maciek and wife Kasia not only own the Harrogate shop, but also a restaurant in Chapel Allerton and shops in Armley in Leeds, Acomb in York and Hessle in Hull. In total, they employ 15 people, including four in the new Bower Street shop.
Originally from Krakow in southern Poland, Maciek began his career with a four-year catering degree and represented his country in international food competitions.
Kasia and Maciek Bujakowski.
He came to England in 2004, moving around the country for various chef positions, culminating in being made executive chef of the Kimberley Hotel in Harrogate. He opened his first shop, Magic Meat – a wordplay on his first name – on King’s Road in 2015 to cater to the town’s then-growing Polish community.
He said:
“When we opened our first shop eight years ago, about 80% of our customers were Eastern European and only 20% English, but now the balance is about 50/50.
“With Polish food it’s exactly the same as with other kinds of foreign food. People come here from other places, local people try our food and like it, and it becomes more popular. I wouldn’t be surprised if in 30 years’ time, you would see Polish restaurants like you see Indian and Chinese restaurants now. It’s just the evolution of knowledge of food, and it’s changing all the time.”
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Fink grocery store in Boroughbridge sold
Fink grocery store in Boroughbridge has new owners.
Co-owner Hugh Fink announced at the weekend he and Sharon Longcroft, who took over the business when it was the Fruit Basket in November 2013, had sold to London retailers Vikas Patel and Miraz Mehta.
The new owners will take over the shop on Boroughbridge High Street on October 2.
Mr Fink said he will continue to support Mr Patel in the months ahead while Ms Longcroft will focus on her picture framing business.
The Fruit Basket was owned by Chris Thompson for 21 years before it was acquired by Mr Fink and Ms Longcroft a decade ago.
It rebranded as Fink in 2016 and two years later was named local shop/village store of the year at the national Farm Shop and Deli Show in 2018.
Mr Fink said:
“It has been a pleasure to have served the people of Boroughbridge and beyond and we are delighted to have found a buyer with such a strong understanding of the market we serve.
“With his vast retail experience and energy, we look forward to seeing him develop Fink to the next level.”
Mr Patel, who until recently managed a general store in Chelsea, added:
“When my wife Miraz and I came to Boroughbridge, met some of the people and saw the shop, we immediately knew this would be a great place to settle and bring up our son Aarish.
“Having moved from London we know there is a lot to learn but we look forward to meeting new people and learning to speak Yorkshire!”
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