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CUSTOMERS of a 70-year-old family business are devastated as the shop has closed its doors for good.
Woolsey Cycles, a bicycle shop in Acton, London, served its final customers yesterday (September 28), having been operating since 1955.
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The shop was known for its personal touch and was beloved in the area.
It was run by Malcolm Woolsey and his father Roger, relations of Donald Woolsey, who originally bought the shop.
Malcolm announced the news of the sad closure on Facebook in July.
He said: “After three generations of our family and the shop owner before that, the time has sadly come to move on to pastures new.
“We would like to thank our customers, both old and new, for their continued support over the years.”
He went on to give a heartfelt thanks to the shop’s longest serving employee, saying: “We would like to thank our staff members that have come and gone over the years, but mainly to David.
“He has been working in the business for 27 years and at times running it.
“During Malcolm’s two prolonged sick leave periods, David ran the shop single-handedly and without him involved we’re not sure how we would’ve coped.”
He added: “We have seen many changes over the years, both in life and in bikes with many memories made and laughs over the years, many of which we can thank our ongoing customers for.
“The occasional gifts we get show the true appreciation from you and means so much to us. The shows of kindness and support during the pandemic were especially well received.”
The post was flooded with comments from disappointed customers mourning its loss.
One read: “Very sorry to hear this – David and Malcolm were always incredibly helpful and offered the best advice on bikes.”
Another said: “You’ve always been brilliant and will be much missed. Much luck for whatever comes next.”
A third person wrote: “70 years of serving the local area around Acton, end of an era Malcolm.”
Yesterday, a poem was uploaded to the shop’s Facebook page, titled “THE END OF AN ERA”.
It began: “The end of an era, and of our time, each moment has changed us, and will help us climb.”
The family has not yet explained the reasoning for the closure, which may be related to the uptick in online bike sales.
The news comes as several other shops have also closed their doors to customers.
This week, a B&M branch in Warrington announced its closure, while a Poundland store in Berkshire also closed just a year after opening.
High streets across the UK have suffered from decline over the past decade.
Since 2018, 6,000 retail outlets have brought down the shutters, according to the British Retail Consortium.
The trade association’s chief executive Helen Dickinson OBE blamed the closures on “crippling” business rates and the impact of coronavirus lockdowns.
Why are retailers closing stores?
RETAILERS have been feeling the squeeze since the pandemic, while shoppers are cutting back on spending due to the soaring cost of living crisis.
cost of living crisis.
High energy costs and a move to shopping online after the pandemic are also taking a toll, and many high street shops have struggled to keep going.
The high street has seen a whole raft of closures over the past year, and more are coming.
The number of jobs lost in British retail dropped last year, but 120,000 people still lost their employment, figures have suggested.
Figures from the Centre for Retail Research revealed that 10,494 shops closed for the last time during 2023, and 119,405 jobs were lost in the sector.
It was fewer shops than had been lost for several years, and a reduction from 151,641 jobs lost in 2022.
The centre’s director, Professor Joshua Bamfield, said the improvement is “less bad” than good.
Although there were some big-name losses from the high street, including Wilko, many large companies had already gone bust before 2022, the centre said, such as Topshop owner Arcadia, Jessops and Debenhams.
“The cost-of-living crisis, inflation and increases in interest rates have led many consumers to tighten their belts, reducing retail spend,” Prof Bamfield said.
“Retailers themselves have suffered increasing energy and occupancy costs, staff shortages and falling demand that have made rebuilding profits after extensive store closures during the pandemic exceptionally difficult.”
Alongside Wilko, which employed around 12,000 people when it collapsed, 2023’s biggest failures included Paperchase, Cath Kidston, Planet Organic and Tile Giant.
The Centre for Retail Research said most stores were closed because companies were trying to reorganise and cut costs rather than the business failing.
However, experts have warned there will likely be more failures this year as consumers keep their belts tight and borrowing costs soar for businesses.
The Body Shop and Ted Baker are the biggest names to have already collapsed into administration this year.
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