A BELOVED grocery store is to close its doors for good later having been trading on the high street for 32 years.
Ken Warne, based on Market Place in Richmond, North Yorkshire, is due to pull down the shutters for the final time later this month.
A sign has appeared in the shop window revealing the decision for the closure and thanking its customers for their support.
The shop, which is part of the Nisa Local brand, says that the closure is down to “ill health” and adding that while an exact date has not been set for the last day in business it will be towards the end of this month.
The sign says: “It is with great sadness that we announce, due to ill health, Ken Warne, Richmond is closing.
“We anticipate the closing date will be towards the end of September.
“It has been an honour and a privilege to have served the Richmond community for the last 32 years.”
Shops close for a multitude of reasons including high rents, or if they come to the end of the lease.
Fans will be gutted to hear the news.
One happy customer wrote a glowing review on Yell, saying it was a “fantastic shop”.
They wrote: “I have frequently shopped in here over the years during visits to Richmond and have always been really impressed with the vast range of products on offer in store.
“There is always a varied assortment of fresh fruit and vegetables on display, as well as a vast selection of soft drinks and alcohol.
“Produce from local businesses based in and around the area are also frequently available, particularly in the baked goods or chilled sections.
“Stocking up on household/food cupboard essentials can be easily fulfilled here too, with a varied catalogue of jams, preserves and pickles, along with sauces and other tinned goods widely available.
“The selection of stock on offer also gives an opportunity to try something new or rediscover a classic brand or product that would potentially require travelling further afield to purchase or having to purchase online.
“I feel that the pricing is very reasonable for an independent business; a weekly shop is easily accomplished without having to go elsewhere.”
One person wrote in another online review: “Ken Warne’s shop is the ultimate convenience store.
“It stocks such a wide array of goods.
“It has quite a selection of wines and beers.
“It is always open and the staff are always friendly.
“If you need some infrequently used items, chances are KW will stock it.
EMPTY shops have become an eyesore on many British high streets and are often symbolic of a town centre’s decline.
The Sun’s business editor Ashley Armstrong explains why so many retailers are shutting their doors.
In many cases, retailers are shutting stores because they are no longer the money-makers they once were because of the rise of online shopping.
Falling store sales and rising staff costs have made it even more expensive for shops to stay open. In some cases, retailers are shutting a store and reopening a new shop at the other end of a high street to reflect how a town has changed.
The problem is that when a big shop closes, footfall falls across the local high street, which puts more shops at risk of closing.
Retail parks are increasingly popular with shoppers, who want to be able to get easy, free parking at a time when local councils have hiked parking charges in towns.
Many retailers including Next and Marks & Spencer have been shutting stores on the high street and taking bigger stores in better-performing retail parks instead.
Boss Stuart Machin recently said that when it relocated a tired store in Chesterfield to a new big store in a retail park half a mile away, its sales in the area rose by 103 per cent.
In some cases, stores have been shut when a retailer goes bust, as in the case of Wilko, Debenhams Topshop, Dorothy Perkins and Paperchase to name a few.
What’s increasingly common is when a chain goes bust a rival retailer or private equity firm snaps up the intellectual property rights so they can own the brand and sell it online.
They may go on to open a handful of stores if there is customer demand, but there are rarely ever as many stores or in the same places.
A reviewer posted: “Lovely shop with friendly staff. Always have everything you need including a good selection of chilled wine.”
Someone else added: “Great shop. I use it for Hermes parcels.
“Great selection of speciality items at reasonable prices, as well as classic staples.
“Always worth a visit.”
Another said: “Love this shop, and all the staff are very friendly.
“Always has what I need and some odd bits.”
Over the years, the business had built up a solid reputation for being a reliable grocer’s with friendly and helpful staff.
Warne’s has a legacy in the grocery sector stretching as far back as the 1940s and a reliable source for everyday essentials as well as supplying speciality goods.
As well as goods like milk, bread and sugar, it also stocked loose tea and coffee beans from Taylor’s of Harrogate, it offered customers a large wine collection as well as a cheese counter, along with bread from the historic Coughlans Bakery, and at the weekends offered warm chocolate croissants.
A spokesperson for Nisa said: “The Ken Warne store has been a fantastic asset to the community in Richmond over the last 32 years and a much valued partner to Nisa for many decades.
“The Warne family have demonstrated what it takes to make a success of an independent convenience business over a prolonged period of time and have our best wishes ahead of the upcoming closure.
“Despite this being the end of an era for the store itself, I’m sure the name Ken Warne will not be forgotten throughout Richmond for the many decades of service the store gave to the local community.”
