Family-run business holding ‘everything must go' sale as Labour's tax hikes force the closure of its last shop
A FAMILY-run retail business is closing its last store in a few days, offering great bargains before it shuts.
The Cotswolds Sewing Centres, a family-run business, is closing its last store in Witney next week, offering big discounts in a "everything must go" sale.
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The business, which has been a local favourite since 2021, says rising taxes under the Labour government have made it impossible to continue.
This closure follows the shutdown of its sister store in Banbury earlier this year, ending over 40 years of serving the high street.
Amy Brennan, who took over the business after her mother passed away in 2020, previously stated that the Witney shop and online store would stay open after closing the Banbury branch.
However, she has now announced that both will be closing as well.
In a notice sent to customers she said: "With a heavy heart I'm announcing the closing of Cotswold Sewing Centres.
"Our Witney store and website will close in June 2025.
"Unfortunately the April increases for businesses has forced this decision.
"Thank you for all the support over the years."
The Witney store will close for the final time on Tuesday, June 24.
Until then, shoppers can grab bargains both in-store and online as the owners work to clear out their remaining stock.
Britain's retail apocalypse: why your favourite stores KEEP closing down
According to recent posts on the retailer's Facebook page, shoppers can get 30% off all fabric, 20% off yarn and 10% off drops yarn.
Items in the haberdashery are discounted by 10%, and knitting and crochet patterns are available for just £3.
In response to the post shoppers have shared their sadness about the closure.
One person said: "This is just awful. Witney High Street is dying because of the high rents and rates.
"I will be very sorry to see this particular shop go, as a dressmaker it's been a life-saver on many occasions."
Another said: "That's a crying shame!
"Where do all of us who enjoy being creative with knitting or sewing go now?"
A third shopper said: "I'm so sad to hear the news.
"This shop has always been such a special place for me - not just for finding beautiful fabrics and materials, but for the calm and welcoming atmosphere."
RETAIL PAIN IN 2025
The British Retail Consortium predicted that the Treasury's hike to employer NICs will cost the retail sector £2.3billion.
Research by the British Chambers of Commerce showed that more than half of companies planned to raise prices by early April.
A survey of more than 4,800 firms also found that 55% expect prices to increase in the next three months, up from 39% in a similar poll conducted in the latter half of 2024.
Three-quarters of companies cited the cost of employing people as their primary financial pressure.
The Centre for Retail Research (CRR) has also warned that around 17,350 retail sites are expected to shut down this year.
It comes on the back of a tough 2024 when 13,000 shops closed their doors for good, already a 28% increase on the previous year.
Professor Joshua Bamfield, director of the CRR said: "The results for 2024 show that although the outcomes for store closures overall were not as poor as in either 2020 or 2022, they are still disconcerting, with worse set to come in 2025."
Professor Bamfield has also warned of a bleak outlook for 2025, predicting that as many as 202,000 jobs could be lost in the sector.
"By increasing both the costs of running stores and the costs on each consumer's household it is highly likely that we will see retail job losses eclipse the height of the pandemic in 2020.
Why is the retail sector struggling?
The retail sector has struggled in recent years due to the onset of online shopping and lockdowns during the coronavirus pandemic.
Just this week, the owners of Poundland confirmed they would shut 68 stores in a major shake-up, with 82 more at risk.
Both Hobbycraft and The Original Factory Shop are also shutting branches as part of restructuring efforts.
Higher inflation since 2022 has also hit shoppers' budgets while businesses have struggled with higher wage, tax and energy costs.
The Centre for Retail Research has described the sector as going through a "permacrisis" since the 2008 financial crash.
Figures from the Centre also show 34 retail companies operating multiple stores stopped trading in 2024, leading to the closure of 7,537 shops.
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