Popular clothing shop closes its doors after 46 years in another...

SHOPPERS have shared their devastation after an “amazing” shop announced it would be closing its doors for the final time.

Jessica clothing store in Fordingbridge, Hampshire, will be closing down today after being on the high street for almost 46 years.

Jessica shop in Fordingbridge at night. — The shop is shutting its doors for the final time today

The small shop had been selling women's fashion items and was run by Valerie Read.

While locals are saddened by the closure, it's for a positive reason – because Valerie is retiring.

In a post on Facebook earlier this month, the shop said: “After nearly 46 years on the High Street of Fordingbridge it's time for us at Jessica's to hang up our coat hangers for the very last time and take a well earned retirement.”

The shop said it had “the most fabulous years” while it was open and staff had “met the most loveliest of customers who have become such good friends”.

It is now having a “sale like no other” before the shutters go down for good.

Jessica added: “This message is sent with love and a big thank you to all our customers over the past years, we couldn't have done it without you.”

More than 60 people commented on the post, with many of them sharing their love for the shop.

“What an amazing shop you've been and for having me in a part of your story... Enjoy that well earned retirement Val,” one person wrote.

Another commented: “Your shop has been a part of my life since I moved to the area 42 years ago. I have spent many happy hours browsing and purchasing over the years and will miss you very much. Have a wonderful retirement xx.”

A third person said: “Well you definitely deserve retirement. I,ve always loved coming in to find ‘the dress‘ for special occasion. The staff were lovely and always went thst extra mile to find me ‘the one'. I,ve still got those dresses and still wear them for special occasions.”

The store was first opened by Valerie's mum Pamela “Betty” Price in 1979.

Now 91 years old, Betty has remained a regular visitor to the shop.

Valerie told The Bournemouth Echo she had not sold the business because it's “not all about the money” and she didn't want her mum to see someone else running the store.

She added: “The fashion industry now – it's all fast fashion and all on the internet.

“I used to be going to shows, feeling clothes and choosing fabrics back in the day. It's tough out there for the high street.

“But the Fordingbridge high street is not dying, it's changing, and there are some beautiful other clothes shops in town.”

What's happening to the high street?

While Jessica is closing due to Valerie's retirement, other high street shops have been shutting for much sadder reasons.

The equivalent of about 37 shops a day shut in 2024, according to analysis by the Centre for Retail Research.

Some of the reasons for this include shoppers turning more towards online stores and increased costs for businesses.

Shops are paying more for energy and rent, while business rates are also high.

Plus, they have been dealing with decreased footfall and shoppers spending less because of soaring inflation.

The Nest gift shop in Broughshane announced this week it would be closing after a decade in the village in County Antrim.

Meanwhile the family-owned Adam Carpets in Kidderminster has closed after 100 years in business after it came under “immense” economic pressure.

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.

Highenergycosts and a move to shopping online after the pandemic are also taking a toll, and many high street shops have struggled to keep going.

However, additional costs have added further pain to an already struggling sector.

The British Retail Consortium has predicted that the Treasury's hike to employer NICs from April 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.

The Centre for Retail Research (CRR) has also warned that around 17,350 retail sites are expected to shut down this year.

It comes on the back of a tough 2024 when 13,000 shops closed their doors for good, already a 28% increase on the previous year.

Professor Joshua Bamfield, director of the CRR said: “The results for 2024 show that although the outcomes for store closures overall were not as poor as in either 2020 or 2022, they are still disconcerting, with worse set to come in 2025.”

It comes after almost 170,000 retail workers lost their jobs in 2024.

End-of-year figures compiled by the Centre for Retail Research showed the number of job losses spiked amid the collapse of major chains such as Homebase and Ted Baker.

It said its latest analysis showed that a total of 169,395 retail jobs were lost in the 2024 calendar year to date.

This was up 49,990 â€“ an increase of 41.9% â€“ compared with 2023.

It is the highest annual reading since more than 200,000 jobs were lost in 2020 in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced retailers to shut their stores during lockdowns.

The centre said 38 major retailers went into administration in 2024, including household names such as Lloyds Pharmacy, Homebase, The Body Shop, Carpetright and Ted Baker.

Around a third of all retail job losses in 2024, 33% or 55,914 in total, resulted from administrations.

Experts have said small high street shops could face a particularly challenging 2025 because of Budget tax and wage changes.

Professor Bamfield has warned of a bleak outlook for 2025, predicting that as many as 202,000 jobs could be lost in the sector.

“By increasing both the costs of running stores and the costs on each consumer's household it is highly likely that we will see retail job losses eclipse the height of the pandemic in 2020.”