The Ernest Jones shop on James Street in Harrogate has closed.
Removal vans were spotted outside the jewellery store yesterday morning.
The store has been a fixture on James Street for 20 years, having opened in 2002.
Attempts to clear the unit began yesterday morning.
There have been a number of shops opening and closing in Harrogate recently, particularly on James Street.
Last week Oliver Bonas announced its new Harrogate store would open on James Street in September.
Ernest Jones set up in 1949 in London’s Oxford Street and now has more than 100 stores across the UK.
The company did not respond to the Stray Ferret’s enquiries by the time of publication.
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Harrogate YMCA shop to close after just two years
The YMCA charity shop on Cambridge Road in Harrogate will close in the next two weeks after just two years in the town centre.
Manager Sam Perry said the unit has to be vacated by May 12 and expects all stock to be sold before then.
The store opened just before the first lockdown, across from McDonald’s, and Ms Perry said it was often overwhelmed by donations from local people.
She said the closure was due to the renovation of the upper floors into flats.
A planning application to convert the first and second floor of the building into eight flats was approved in September 2021. Developers Lake House Investments, which is based near Brighouse, submitted the plan.
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The shop is already looking bare, with just half of the floor space being used to display the last few donations at discounted prices.
Ms Perry said it was a “real shame” the shop was closing but added the charity was keen to find another suitable unit in the town centre.
Before moving to Harrogate in February 2020, there was a YMCA store in Starbeck but it also had to vacate due to development. Ms Perry said it could take up to 18 months to find new premises in Harrogate so she would have to find another job.
Shop will close tomorrow after 25 years in HarrogateA longstanding fixture on Harrogate’s high street will close for good tomorrow.
Orvis, which sells outdoor clothes, fly-fishing gear, dog accessories and walking items, has been trading in town for about 25 years,
It opened on Parliament Street in the 1990s before moving to its current five-storey unit on West Park.
But the American owners have decided to move the business mainly online
The company, which has a closing down sale, employs around eight people who have now all found jobs elsewhere.
On its penultimate day today, there was an overwhelming sense of sadness at the site of the last few garments hanging on racks.
There were also items of store furniture and plastic shoe blocks scattered around for sale for just a few pounds.
The store’s stock is depleted now after a month of major discounts.
Staff were sad to see the store go and hoped another retailer would take on the building.
The future of the unit remains unknown. The Stray Ferret has contacted the retail agent, Stapleton Waterhouse, but has yet to receive a reply.
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Orvis has 18 shops in the UK and all but one, at Stockbridge near Reading, will close. The company will instead focus on online sales, particularly fly-fishing equipment.
Orvis was founded in Vermont in 1856 by Charles F Orvis.
The upstairs rooms are now completely bare.
Harrogate country sports shop Orvis is set to close as part of a major restructure of the business.
Orvis, which sells clothes for men and women, fly-fishing gear, dog accessories and walking items. has had a store in Harrogate for about 25 years. It was on Parliament Street before moving to its current site on West Park, which is currently operating a closing down sale.
The US-owned company confirmed that the Harrogate store, which has about eight members of staff, will remain open until the end of March.
Orvis has 18 shops in the UK and it is believed all but one, at Stockbridge near Reading, will close.
The company will re-focus on online sales, particularly fly-fishing equipment.
Orvis was founded in Vermont in 1856 by Charles F Orvis.
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Harrogate jewellery store to close after 190 years of trading
Well-known Harrogate independent jewellers A. Fattorini the Jeweller has announced it will close after 190 years of trading.
Thought to be the oldest independent jeweller in Harrogate, A. Fattorini, has been on Parliament Street since 1884.
But owners have announced today they plan to cease trading and close the iconic store.
It is currently run by Anthony Tindall, but his retirement has led to a decision to close.
The closure of the Harrogate institution will be marked by a closing down sale starting on November 13.
Mr Tindall said:
“The decision to close the store has been incredibly tough. It’s undoubtedly the end of an era for Harrogate and for our family.
I have loved my time in the business and am going to miss the customers, many who have been coming into the store for many years to purchase special and sentimental pieces.”
A. Fattorini, was founded in 1831 by Antonio Fattorini. Originally from Lake Como in Italy, Antonio senior later settled in Harrogate and set up his business to serve the town’s wealthy visitors during the ‘Summer Season’.
In 1859, the shop was passed onto the hands of his son, also Antonio, who established himself in the Harrogate business communty and was the one at the helm when the store moved onto Parliament Street.
Antonio never married so when he died in 1912 the business was passed onto his brother-in-law John Tindall.
The business remains in the Tindall family today and is currently run by Antonio’s great, great grandson Anthony Tindall. Mr Tindall is due to retire and with no plans for succession the store must close.
The closing down sale will see items such as diamond and gold jewellery, pearls and engagement rings will be reduced by up to 50%.
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Bettys closes York shop after 50 years
Bettys has announced the closure of its smallest branch in York, leaving nine jobs at risk.
The shop, known as Little Bettys, is on Stonegate, just around the corner from the Harrogate-based company’s larger tearoom on St Helen’s Square.
The decision to close follows a three week consultation with staff.
Little Bettys’ upstairs cafe closed in March, which affected 34 employees.
The company said in a statement today it was “an increasingly challenging environment to operate in, and the least commercially viable of the branches”.
Simon Eyles, managing director of Bettys, said:
“This has been a very tough decision, but one we have made for the long-term future of our business.
“Our people are our strength and we are focussing our energy now to find opportunities for the Little Bettys team in other roles within the business.
“We hope people will be able to pay us a last visit at Little Bettys and that we can help them create new memories in our other branches over the years to come.”
A final closing date is yet to be confirmed.
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Bettys’ other tearooms in Harrogate, Harlow Carr, Ilkley, Northallerton and York remain open.
Earlier this year Bettys said it faced its worst recruitment crisis in recent years, forcing it to close its Harrogate store four hours earlier than usual.
Harrogate care supplies shop closes to move onlineAfter being forced to move online during lockdown, one Harrogate business has now decided to permanently close its store and move fully online.
Change Mobility operated on King’s Road for five years before closing for good last week. The pandemic accelerated its move online.
The company decided on the move after listening to customer feedback and assessing sales during lockdown.
Change Mobility is the sister company of Beaucare another Harrogate-based business that supplies products to care homes, hospitals and individuals.
Change Mobility sells a range of care supplies from living aids such as grab rails to wheelchairs.
It will still provide home visits and a click and collect service from its office on Hornbeam Park.
Heather Mawray, managing director of Beaucare, said:
“The retail market has been difficult over the last 12 months. This has accelerated our move to a different operating model. During the pandemic many customers have required home deliveries, this will continue as a key feature for Change Mobility going forward.
“Advice and assessments will be available in person at home visits arranged at times to suit the customer, this has been welcomed by many of our customers who would have previously found it difficult to travel to the store.
“We are really looking forward to continuing to support our Change Mobility customers and ensure they receive outstanding service.”
The company told the Stray Ferret no jobs had been lost due to the move.
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Harrogate Benetton store set to close its doors
The United Colors of Benetton shop on Montpellier Parade is to close.
The shop confirmed the news when asked by the Stray Ferret, but declined to give further details so the closure date is unknown.
Many products are on sale and some shelves are light on stock as the final items are sold.
Benetton Group, which is based in Italy, has about 5,000 stores worldwide.
The Stray Ferret asked the group for details of the Harrogate store closure and received this response:
“The store belongs to an independent partner of Benetton Group.”
This closure is the latest high street casualty in Harrogate’s. Department store Debenhams has gone into liquidation and looks set to close its stores.
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