Beloved store ‘vital’ to parents suddenly forced to close after 35 YEARS on high street sparking half term headache
A BELOVED embroidery store frequently used by parents has been forced to close after three decades of operations.
Elizabeth's Embroidery and Print has been doing personalised stitching for 35 years, but it's decision to pull the plug has sparked a half term headache.
The Stockton-based business, which stiches uniforms for 150 schools around Teeside, announced the closure on Facebook, TeesideLive .
The post said: "We regret to inform you that Elizabeths Embroidery has closed with immediate effect.
"Please do not worry as we have organised some amazing companies to take over all of our contracts and they will be in touch with all of the schools and businesses over the coming days and weeks.
"If you have an existing order with ourselves we will be in contact with you and we are still fulfilling as many orders as we can.
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"Please just bear with us through this difficult time.
"We would just like to take this opportunity to thank all our customers and staff both past and present for your support and loyalty.
"We have loved the last 35 years and we hope that people will remember Elizabeths Embroidery with fond memories."
The business was a family affair with daughter, Lisa Halligan, acting as managing director.
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MORE SHOP CLOSURES
Plenty of other retailers are closing stores across the high street as households lean more towards online shopping and amid high business rates.
Soaring inflation in recent years has also dented shoppers' pockets.
The Centre for Retail Research's latest analysis suggests 13,479 stores, the equivalent of 37 each day, shut for good in 2024.
Of those, 11,341 were independent shops while 2,138 were shut by larger retailers.
The data also showed over half the stores that closed last year were shut due to the store or retailer going through insolvency proceedings.
This is when formal measures are taken to deal with tackling a business's debt.
Retailers are shutting stores in 2025 too.
DIY chain Homebase will close 33 stores this month following its administration.
Homebase fell into administration in November, with up to 70 of the struggling DIY chain's branches bought by CDS Superstores, now trading as Wilko, The Range and Homebase.
But that left around 74 branches at risk of closure if no buyers could be found to take them on.
Teneo has confirmed 13 branches closed last month, including in London, Coventry and Bradford.
Now, the 33 shutting this month will take the full list of branches closing to 52, after six shut before the end of 2024.
Of the 74 sites put up for sale by Teneo, Sainsbury's is expected to buy three more stores, after securing 10 earlier in 2024.
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Last month, B&Q agreed to buy five branches. This suggests around four stores out of the list of 74 are at risk of closure still.
