DEVASTATED shoppers cried “what a loss” as a “brilliant” and beloved bookshop pulls the shutters down for good.
The high street favourite, in St Martin’s, Leicester, broke the very “sad news” they would be waving goodbye to customers permanently.
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The independent Fox Books regretfully shared their announcement and said the shop was “no longer sustainable”.
Disappointed owner Ieuan Cox, wrote on Facebook: “I know this will be sad news for many of you.
“Over the past three years, it’s been a pleasure serving customers, hosting events and talking all things books.
“Unfortunately, despite my best efforts, a brick-and-mortar bookshop is no longer sustainable.
“Fox Books will continue online and at events, which will hopefully include a series of regular pop-ups. Watch this space for further details.
“Thank you to everyone who has helped Fox Books get this far.
“I hope you’ll continue to support Leicester’s independent bookshop as it evolves.”
Shocked fans hailed the bookshop, with floods of supportive messages filling the comment section.
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One said: “Sad news. You and your little shop have been brilliant.”
Another penned: “Very sorry to hear this Ieuan. What a loss.”
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“Sorry to hear this Ieuan. Thanks for all you’ve done to support authors. Glad to hear you’ll be continuing in other ways,” a third agreed.
Someone else posted: “So sorry, it’s a wonderful shop.”
“Great little shop. My wife and I only discovered you a couple of weeks ago when we popped in and bought a book about witchcraft. We then had a really good chat with you,” wrote another customer.
“Your bookshop was such a beautiful little haven and had the best books, for adults and kids,” raved a loyal fan.
Customers now have until April 6 to nab their final books from the store.
A closing down sale is now in place, offering shoppers hefty discounts.
It comes as an independent homeware store in the same area suffered a similar fate last year.
Harriman & Co shut down after nearly a decade on the high street, but are still selling products online.
Meanwhile, a popular restaurant, The Chase, also turned away customers recently as they were forced to close down.
And, it is not just the independent and small businesses suffering in the current climate.
Even industry giants are falling victim to rising bills and customers with less spending money amid the biting cost of living.
Several brands have collapsed and disappeared from our high streets forever, such as Wilko and Paperchase.
In the latest blow, six major chains including Next, The Entertainer, Iceland, Clarks and WHSmith have shut up shop.
Figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) this summer found the UK had lost 6,000 stores over a five-year period.
Shoppers recently sobbed at the “very sad news” a popular discount chain with more than 500 stores was closing for good.
Bookworms and bargain hunters were disappointed to learn an Oxfam bookshop in Bishop’s Stortford, East Hertfordshire, was waving goodbye to customers.
The organisation put the closure down to the area is no longer being a popular retail destination.
And, Oxfam has already pulled the plug on many of its branches last year.
The Body Shop bosses have also called in administrators with a “significant number” of jobs and shops at risk as the brand is set to begin an insolvency processes.
Meanwhile, popular beauty retailer Boots has also sadly announced it will be closing 300 shops this year, following several closures in 2023.
And, a fellow cosmetic retailer with 66 branches has closed one of its branches.
The beauty giant L’Occitane En Provence pulled down the shutters down in Hereford’s Old Market.
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Plus, bargain hunters were be devastated to learn the discount retailer B&M closed yet another shop.
What are my rights if a company I’ve ordered from goes bust or stops trading?
According to Citizen Advice, you might end up without the item you paid for or with unfinished work if a company or trader stops trading or goes out of business.
There are several ways to try to get your money back or get the work done.
But, there’s no guarantee you’ll get what you paid for.
You should call the company, visit their office or shop, or write to them to find out what’s happening.
Explain what you’ve paid for and ask for the item you bought or a refund.
If you can’t get hold of a company or want to confirm that they’ve gone out of business you can search for their name on:
- the Companies House website if they’re a limited company (with the letters ‘Ltd’ or ‘Plc’ after their name)
- the Insolvency Register if they’re an individual (a sole trader) or a partnership – search both the name of the person and their trading name
It can take a few weeks for information to appear on these websites.
This post first appeared on thesun.co.uk
