Beloved homeware shop closes as heartbroken owner says she’s...

A FAMILY-FAVOURITE homeware shop has shuttered as heartbroken owner said she's put “10 years of blood, sweat and many tears” into it.

The beloved store has won multiple awards but declining footfall in the area has forced its closure.

Shop windows displaying sale items and signs indicating the store is open. — A beloved homeware shop announced on Facebook yesterday it will be closing for good

Joco homeware shop window display with autumn decorations and various items for sale. — Joco Gifts on Queens Road, Coventry, has been serving customers for 10 years but can no longer afford to remain open

Photo of Joco, a homeware shop, closing; three people stand in front of the shop. — Business owner Jo Williams (middle) announced the closure with ‘extreme sadness and heartbreak'

Joco Gifts on Queens Road, Coventry, yesterday announced it can longer sustain itself.

Proud business owner Jo Williams has “worked her socks off” to keep the company afloat but unfortunately, she has no option but to close.

In a heartfelt post on social media she wrote: “It is with extreme sadness and heartbreak that I have to announce that Joco has closed its doors for the final time in Nuneaton Town Centre.

“Following 10 years of blood, sweat and many tears, I have had to admit that no matter how much hard work the team and I have put in, it wasn't enough to bring footfall to the shop.

“What people don't see, are the thousands of tears shed, the hours away from family and friends, the lack of downtime whilst battling to stay afloat.

“This has had a detrimental effect on my health too and recently my body has given me significant warning signs that it's time to review the future.”

The mum-of-two opened the high-street staple ten years ago and worked up seven days a week for a decade.

Jo blamed declining footfall on the delays in opening a new car park opposite her shop – which will officially enter insolvency within the next 10 days.

She said she invested thousands to stay, based on promises that the car park was coming soon offering sales, offers, and loyalty cards.

Jo said she even offered to pay for her customer's parking to boost visits but unfortunately, this was not enough.

She continued: “We were advised that half of the car park would be open before Christmas in a meeting with the council, so in order to stay open I took on more debt to see us reach Christmas of 2024.

“It didn't happen and that date came and went.

“Joco was started from my coffee table at home in 2015, no outside funding, no help from agencies for start-ups, just pure determination to succeed.

“Over the years I've learned lots, met some incredible people and worked with brilliant team members, whether they were with me a long time or just temporary for seasonal cover.

“I've invested tens of thousands into the town, used other local businesses for many things such as signage, printing, building works and brought a huge amount of publicity with TV crews, radio stations and more.”

The store stocked a range of gifts from luxury items to “£1 trinkets” including crockery, cuddly toys and jewellery.

You could get hold of bespoke, handmade and personable items for luxury gifts as well as wholesale items for those on a budget.

At one point Jo was even named as one of 100 most inspirational businesswomen in the UK having been chosen as a 2023 top 100 Female Entrepreneur.

She attended a celebration at the House of Lords on March 8 for International Women's Day.

Now, in the windows, shoppers have spotted big red signs announcing “sale” and “sale now on.”

However, Jo said there may be a “glimmer of hope” on the horizon, with a potential buyer lined up.

She's yet to give her loyal shoppers any further detail but promised they will honour gift cards and completed loyalty cards.

Savings club deposits have been returned and Jo assured that VIPs will also receive benefits until the end of the year.

Her dedication to her customer base has proven fruitful as the high-street store has rave reviews.

The beloved homeware shop has an astonishingly high score on Google with 4.9 stars out of five and a cascade of praise in the comments.

A five-star review read: “I totally recommend this shop, lovely friendly staff who goes beyond.”

Another complimented the owner, stating: “Absolutely love this shop. Jo is a super friendly person and is great at her job.”

When she revealed the shock closure on Facebook late last night, shoppers were devastated for her.

The emotional announcement received a wave of support and friends and fans of the shop were quick to comment their commiserations and support.

One shocked shopper wrote: “Omg Jo, I'm so sorry to hear this.

“You always had a smile on your face, obviously trying not to show the worry about the shop. You worked so hard to keep it open, and many people will be sorry to see you go.

“I wish you well in your new adventures.”

Another customer responded in support: “I heard your voice reading this post.

“I am so sorry it has ended this way as I know how much Joco meant you.

“There will be something amazing waiting for you, as your next chapter as you make things happen.”

A third shocked Facebook user commented: “This is devastating news Jo, for you personally and for the town centre.

“I do hope that you come out of this ok and that you have great success elsewhere in whatever you take on next.

“Many will miss your beautiful shop I'm sure and will continue to echo this sentiment within this thread.

“I wish you brighter days ahead.”

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

Flying Eze'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.