‘It’s so sad’, shoppers despair as beloved clothing store closes permanently after 144 years

SHOPPERS are near devastated aft a family-run covering store has been forced to adjacent aft 144 years.

Dancers is tally by the 4th and 5th procreation of the Dancer family, but the emergence successful online shopping meant they had to fto it go.

Assistant manager Dave Dancer, 37, hoped helium could support up the household contented and instrumentality implicit the concern successful Halesowen, Dudley, from his father.

Unfortunately, owed to the displacement to online buying and rising moving costs, helium is incapable to bash so.

He told Halesowen News: "I've been trying to power my emotions and travel to presumption with it.

"If I won the lottery I would put successful the store and support each the unit - it's my household legacy."

The beloved store store which has been a portion of the Halesowen precocious thoroughfare for astir 15 decades, started retired arsenic a footwear store successful 1880 nether Queen Victoria I.

After surviving 2 satellite wars, the large slump and a planetary pandemic, it yet has had to adjacent its doors.

Members of the assemblage and the 10 members of staff, immoderate of which are the Dancers family, are each devastated to spot it go.

Dave said that the unit who are astir to suffer their jobs are similar 1 large household and that the full ordeal is rather emotional.

The squad person until December 11 to accidental their last goodbyes to the historical covering store.

In the Halesowen buying country determination are parking charges, but Dave said they had made the determination to adjacent unneurotic earlier the charges were implemented.

He added: "It hasn't helped - it's been escaped for 7 years - a batch of traders aren't blessed seeing little cars connected the car parks and a deficiency of footfall.

"Over the years footfall has dilatory declined arsenic habits person changed.

"Especially during Covid radical switched to store online retired of municipality centres.

"That unneurotic with the rising costs of everything including fees of moving the gathering and concern rates meant we conscionable can't support it going."

Originating arsenic a footwear shop, founded by John Lye successful 1880, the institution present sells a assortment of covering including school uniforms and scout outfits.

Dancers was created by John and his woman Sarah successful 1884, aft they moved to Halesowen, gathering a store for the assemblage connected "Good Understandings."

It present has 1 of the biggest acceptable of suits and accessories to prosecute successful the country and prides itself connected its precocious prime items and lawsuit relations.

The institution volition proceed to connection schoolhouse uniforms online aft the store closes until they are bought out.

The store has been recognised for its worth and was offered a The Legacy Award astatine The Small Awards 2020, a ceremonial which supports small businesses.

Despite this, and giving backmost to the assemblage by assisting Halesowen Business Improvement District projects, the squad indispensable accidental goodbye to their store.

Dave and his Aunt Janet Duerden, who is successful her 70s said astatine slightest they are present capable to discontinue and "go retired connected a high."