Wellingborough's Warwicks menswear shop to shut after 157 years
The owner of a men's clothing store that is set to shut after serving a town for 157 years says its success is due to never being "one look, one age".Neil Warwick, 61, will shut the doors at Warwicks of Wellingborough in Northamptonshire on 28 June due to retirement, as none of his family wants to take over.The fifth generation owner of the independent store claimed it was the oldest retailer in the county and had always adapted."I was brought up coming in the shop as a lad and came and helped during the school holidays, it's been part of my life," he said.
"We were a profitable, well patronised business. I've been here 41 years full-time and five years part-time, and I think now is the time to enjoy my time."The shop was opened in 1868 by his great, great, grandfather Samuel Warwick and then passed down to five other Warwicks - Harry, Cyril, his father Alan, and then to Neil and his brother David.
He said when David died in 2019 it made him realise he wanted a "new adventure" and there were "other things in life". "My dad carried on until he was 82, my grandfather 85. I have no-one to pass it on to."It really wants someone in their 30s to carry on and take it forward."The shop used to make its own suits but stopped in the 1960s when ready-made wear became popular. It also sold school uniforms until 15 years ago, when online retail really took off.
James Taylor has worked in the hire department for several years."A lot of things have changed over the years, but a lot of time for the better," he said."For me it's about getting the rapport, having a chat and repeat customers coming back for a dinner suit, a wedding suit. I've seen a few people get married a few times over the years."
Ian Wood, 93, from the town, went to school with Neil's father, Alan. He said he had shopped there since the 1930s and it was where he purchased his school uniform and hired his wedding suit from."It's very sad, it's a great loss to the town," he said. "The corner - Warwick's corner - will look very sad. It's really been a part of Wellingborough."
Mr Warwick added: "Our store was never about one look, one age - we were a wide, broad church to people."It's hard to buy a suit online so people still like to try things on. Online it can't be fitted. "Our business has seen Covid, the Suez Crisis, World War Two, World War One, Spanish flu and the Boer War, and we've still been here."
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