Latest news with #Jolly's
Daily Mirror
11 hours ago
- Business
- Daily Mirror
200-year-old British department store is returning to the UK high street
Jolly's in Bath closed in February after 200 years - but it has now been confirmed that it will reopen in spring 2026 A British department store that closed down earlier this year is set to return to the high street - and shoppers have praised the "wonderful" news. Jolly's in Bath closed in February after 200 years - but it has now been confirmed that it will reopen in spring 2026, starting with a soft launch in March and a full reopening in October. The iconic store, located in Milsom Street, will be operated by department store group Morleys, which owns seven UK stores. The building, which first opened in 1823 and is owned by Bath and North East Somerset Council, will undergo full restoration before it is reopened to the public. Jolly's had previously owned by the Frasers Group since the 1970s. Shoppers have been reacting to the news of the opening on social media. One person said: "That's wonderful news!!" Another said: "Can't wait to see what they do." Allan Winstanley, chief executive of Morleys, said: 'We're thrilled that work is underway restoring Jolly's to its former glory. We're extremely proud to be another step closer to taking stewardship of Jolly's and creating a world class shopping experience for the people of Bath and its many visitors." Grant Jefferies, managing director of Bray and Slaughter, who are carrying out restoration works on the building, added: "Growing up near Bath, Jolly's has been a constant presence on Milsom Street during my life and to have the opportunity to showcase our technical skills and deliver a project which will secure a future for the site is a challenge my colleagues and I are proud to be entrusted with." Councillor Mark Elliott, cabinet member for Resources, said: 'We are investing significantly in restoration of the building so it can continue to benefit future generations of Bath residents and visitors. "I'll be taking a very active interest in progress as work is carried out to preserve the historic fabric of this flagship building." In more retail news, Poundland is shutting two stores this summer ahead of the planned closure of another 68 branches. The discount chain has been sold for just £1 to investment firm Gordon Brothers, the former owner of Laura Ashley. It was later revealed that Poundland wants to close 68 stores as part of a major restructure, plus it will look to reduce its rent at a number of other locations. The restructuring plan will go through the High Court for approval. But before this announcement, Poundland had already shut 16 stores recently, with a further two planned for this summer. Its store in Cowes, Isle of Wight, will shut permanently on July 30, followed by its branch in Newquay, which will close on August 1. Poundland, which is owned by Pepco Group, has around 800 stores in the UK and employs roughly 16,000 employees. As part of the restructuring plan, Pepco will retain a minority stake in Poundland. Gordon Brothers is providing up to £80million of financing to help fund the turnaround plan.
Scottish Sun
16 hours ago
- Business
- Scottish Sun
Popular 200-year-old British department store to RETURN to high street after shutting its doors just months ago
We reveal what other retailers have been returning to high streets FRESH HOPE Popular 200-year-old British department store to RETURN to high street after shutting its doors just months ago Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A POPULAR 200-year-old British department store is set to return to the high street in months after shutting earlier this year. The historic Jolly's, in central Bath, will reopen in Spring 2026 after being taken on by Morleys Stores Ltd. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Jolly's department store in Bath is re-opening next Spring 2 The shop opened in 1823 but shut in February Contractors Bray and Slaughter have now kicked off restoration works on the iconic building, which is owned by Bath and North East Somerset Council. Renovations will be carried out on the outside of the shop first, including roof and window repairs, with drainage refreshed as well. The inside of the building, which first opened in 1823 and is found on Milsom Street, will then given a makeover. Councillor Mark Elliott, cabinet member for Resources, said: 'We are investing significantly in restoration of the building so it can continue to benefit future generations of Bath residents and visitors. "I'll be taking a very active interest in progress as work is carried out to preserve the historic fabric of this flagship building." Jolly's, which was previously owned by the Frasers Group, closed its doors for good in February. The announcement of the closure was made in December 2024, with a major closing down sale launched in the following months. But the shop was taken on by Morleys Stores this Spring, who signed a lease to take over the site and return it to its former glory. The company, which owns department stores across the UK, has confirmed Jollys will reopen in two phases – a soft launch in March 2026, followed by a full reopening in October. Bosses say the store will feature fashion, beauty, and homeware, including brands never before seen in Bath. Britain's retail apocalypse: why your favourite stores KEEP closing down Allan Winstanley, chief executive of Morleys, said: 'We're thrilled that work is underway restoring Jolly's to its former glory. "We're extremely proud to be another step closer to taking stewardship of Jolly's and creating a world class shopping experience for the people of Bath and its many visitors." Grant Jefferies, managing director of Bray and Slaughter, added: "Growing up near Bath, Jolly's has been a constant presence on Milsom Street during my life and to have the opportunity to showcase our technical skills and deliver a project which will secure a future for the site is a challenge my colleagues and I are proud to be entrusted with." Other retailers making a return to the high street The retail sector has been hit hard in recent years, with thousands of shops closing across the UK. The Centre for Retail Research has described the sector as going through a "permacrisis" since the 2008 financial crash. In 2024 alone, more than 13,000 high street stores were shuttered for good, according to the Centre. But some retailers are bucking the closure trend and making a return to the high street. Shirtmaker T.M. Lewin is gearing up to open more stores in London, Manchester and Edinburgh after opening one branch in the English capital. It comes after the chain collapsed into administration in 2020, then for a second time in 2022. Meanwhile, Cath Kidston opened a new store in October after falling into administration in June 2023. Wilko has re-launched on the high street too after going bust in 2023. The major brand and feature on high streets shut hundreds of stores after calling in administrators. Its new owners, CDS Superstores, have opened branches across the UK. Why are retailers closing shops? 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. The British Retail Consortium has predicted that the Treasury's hike to employer NICs from April 2025, will cost the retail sector £2.3billion. At the same time, the minimum wage will rise to £12.21 an hour from April, and the minimum wage for people aged 18-20 will rise to £10 an hour, an increase of £1.40. 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. In some cases, stores have been shut when a retailer goes bust, as in the case of Carpetright, Debenhams, Dorothy Perkins, Paperchase, Ted Baker, The Body Shop, Topshop and Wilko 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. The Centre for Retail Research (CRR) has warned that around 17,350 retail sites are expected to shut down this year. Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@ Plus, you can join our Sun Money Chats and Tips Facebook group to share your tips and stories
