Stafford shops closing - Turning into a ghost town?

Tumble weed

Well-Known Forumite
Separates and Tudor gowns , has closed permanently after fifty years of trading .
 

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staffordjas

Well-Known Forumite
Months ago , same time as hsamuel, and to a lesser extent Edinburgh wool mill. Never survived the lockdown.
Ta, didn't know that had gone as well. Heard about Samuels (Shop assistant in Poole Samuels was shocked when I said the Stafford branch had closed. She was assuming all stores were safe)
 

Tumble weed

Well-Known Forumite
Ta, didn't know that had gone as well. Heard about Samuels (Shop assistant in Poole Samuels was shocked when I said the Stafford branch had closed. She was assuming all stores were safe)
I think the problem with ours was , it was too close to Earnest Jones, so a bean counter in an office somewhere only wanted to keep one.

Realistically, I think they're now the same shop with different names essentially.
 

proactive

Enjoying a drop of red.
I think the problem with ours was , it was too close to Earnest Jones, so a bean counter in an office somewhere only wanted to keep one.

Realistically, I think they're now the same shop with different names essentially.
I think that's very unlikely to have been the case. Their target markets are not the same at all.
 

Zylo

Well-Known Forumite
How long has Thorntons been closed in Stafford? Was surprised when I went to go in today and it had gone!

That's the problem isn't it? you have had no reason to go for months! it's why town is dying, and it's all easier online sadly! (obviously not because of you, but this is probably most people)

Shame they couldn't keep open till christmas time, i'm sure they'd of made money from the likes of yourself (assuming it was some christmas shopping)

Apparently there was a big queue for boots the other day of all places- once again easier done online but it's good people are going into the town into shops, so they don't close aswell!
 
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Carole

Well-Known Forumite
Well I felt that I did a tiny bit to help yesterday.
Could have bought my books very easily from Amazon but I put my coat on, drove to Stafford, parked the car, got a bit wet in the rain walking to the shops.
But anyway, I bought my books and supported the High St because I’d be very sad to see all shops disappear.
 

staffordjas

Well-Known Forumite
I walked into the town yesterday , as part of my 2 hr + walk for exercise, to buy sons birthday presents and card ( few days after Xmas).
Except for the planned Thornton's personalised choccies idea which I couldn't get , bought more than expecting to ( and was wishing I'd have driven down )

Did my tiny bit for a few of the surviving town shops.
(Went into Mr Simms , but shop didn't look very inspiring this visit and staff never even looked around from their conversation, so walked back out empty handed from there...)


I shopped online during the first lockdown , for the first time ever .
But would rather see the actual items , pay and take them home there and then where I can
 

Cue

Well-Known Forumite
Thornton's did have a bigger problem, that all the discount chains and supermarkets sold their boxed chocolates at a fraction of the price of their own stores.

I think the only time I ever purchased anything from there was when they were doing silly offers like 4 last-season boxes for £8 and stuff like that
 
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