Franchisees of Clarks in Haverhill say lack of paying customers is to blame as shop’s closure is announced

Just six months after warning its future was at risk unless more people used it, the franchisees of a shoe shop in Haverhill have confirmed it will close.

Clarks, in High Street, will shut its doors for good on September 4 after a year-on-year decline in footfall left the franchisees of 17 years, Perry Gurney and Steve Wee with no choice but to call it a day.

The closure will result in the full-time manager and five part-time staff losing their jobs. Two further part-time members of staff have already left after finding other work.

Perry, who together with Steve began their retail journey as employees at the shop (which was formerly occupied by Jan and David shoe shop) before becoming its franchise holders, said: “It is so so sad.

“I thought we were going to be able to save it to be honest but when people just do not come in, what else can we do?

“It has not made us a penny, it has made us a loss so far this year.

“Some days we are taking £50, if that. We have had a couple of days where we have done nothing. When you’ve got two staff in, of course that doesn’t pay any wages does it.”

Perry, who lives in Great Finborough near Stowmarket, added: “We would like to thank all the loyal customers that have supported us over the past 17 years.

“However, we have had to close due to the continuous decline in the footfall that comes into town and our shop.”

In January, the Haverhill Echo ran a story in which Steve said the shop was only just making a profit but it would close if business did not pick up. He urged people to ‘use it or lose it’.

Perry went on to say: “After we did that story we were hoping it was going to get better and to be honest it hasn’t and that’s it and the final nail in the coffin was the living wage.

“When it went up again (in April) that literally just destroyed us.

“The landlord has been very good to us. It (closing) has got nothing to do with the landlord. It’s just that people are not coming in.

“The town has got so big but nothing seems to come to the High Street.”

The business partners are also having to close another of their Clark’s franchises, in March, Cambridgeshire, on September 4.

Their remaining shops in Felixstowe, Deal, in Kent, Pinner, Middlesex and St Neots, in Cambridgeshire, remain open.

The Haverhill shop is offering some cut price deals on some lines in order to clear stock and will run the annual Back to School promotion in August.