Queens of Weymouth jewellers in Dorset has announced that it is closing after three years of operation.
A statement on the company’s website said that the shop was closed but will reopen for a closing down sale on 1 March.
The jewellers, owned by husband and wife duo Dean and Sue Metcalfe, expects the closing down sale to last three or four weeks.
Dean Metcalfe said to the Dorset Echo: “We are closing after three years. Our first year was really positive, the second much less and the third has seen a massive decline in purchases.
“The reason for this decline is that we and other retailers are putting it down to all the negativities of the economy like utilities and mortgage rates rising rapidly which has put people off buying more luxury purchases.”
He added: “The trouble is that when we opened, everyone had just come out of Covid. We thought that trade was normal and that it was going to improve. People say that it’s the same everywhere – people who come in often say that they are not from round here or local people who say but we don’t come into town unless we have to.
“Customers tell us that the demise of Debenhams had a big impact on the town but there have been lots of other closures as well, including more recently Wilko.”
