Longstanding Sutton Coldfield shop closes after ‘brutal’ year during pandemic – Birmingham Live
A shop in Birmingham which has been a fixture on the high street for more than 40 years has closed after a ‘brutal year’ during the pandemic.
Harpers Dry Cleaners has closed its original Walmley Close branch in Sutton Coldfield having been operating there since 1978. The shop had previously been a launderette and dry cleaners since the 1960s.
Owner Tony Tomkins said he has closed the shop, where his father’s business started, ‘with a heavy heart’.
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A shop in Birmingham which has been a fixture on the high street for more than 40 years has closed after a ‘brutal year’ during the pandemic.
Harpers Dry Cleaners has closed its original Walmley Close branch in Sutton Coldfield having been operating there since 1978. The shop had previously been a launderette and dry cleaners since the 1960s.
Owner Tony Tomkins said he has closed the shop, where his father’s business started, ‘with a heavy heart’.
Read more : Shop that sold ‘almost everything’ closes after 70 years of trade
He said he had been unable to agree terms with the landlord.
The Walmley born-and-bred businessman told BirminghamLive: “My late father took over that shop in 1978. That was Harpers first branch and I bought it off my mum in 1996 after my father died.
“We created the brand Harpers and that was our very first shop.
“I was born in Walmley. The business started there. You can imagine what a difficult decision it was for us to make.”
He said footfall in that part of Walmley had fallen since the closure of Jeff’s Useful Shop closed in August 2017. He said: “Jeff’s Useful Shop was a magnet for footfall. It has reduced dramatically.”
Harpers Dry Cleaners, opposite Walmley War Memorial and community centre, has closed its doors for the final time in Walmley
But he thanked customers for their response after explaining the closure and asking for their support.
The 60-year-old sent an email informing them of the closure which said: “Having been trading from Walmley Close since 1978 (when my late father took over the lease of the shop from renowned local retailer Freddie Willis) we have reluctantly decided to close the shop and relocate its services up to our shop at Wylde Green from close of business on 29 May.
“This is not a decision that we have taken lightly but has come about after being unable to agree new terms with the landlord despite us having paid every single penny of rent throughout the pandemic.”
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The letter continued: “We do hope you will continue to use our services and that we …….
