A HISTORIC family business is preparing to shut its doors for good after nearly a century of trading.
The menswear retailer, A.R. White & Son in Bilston, England, has announced it will close after 95 years.
A.R. White & Son in Bilston, England, has announced it will close after 95 years[/caption]
The shop has been a staple in Bilston for generations, known for its quality suits[/caption]
The business was first opened in 1929 by Albert Reginald[/caption]
Owner Chris White shared the news in a heartfelt message on the store’s Facebook page.
He confirmed a closing down sale had begun and expects the shop to shut permanently by September 2025.
Chris explained that the store will continue taking special orders, alterations, and dry cleaning until the final closing date.
He said the decision was not an easy one but felt it was time to step back and enjoy retirement.
The business was first opened in 1929 by his grandfather, Albert Reginald.
In 1949, his father, Kenneth, joined the shop, keeping it in the family.
Chris himself has worked there since 1980, starting at just 18 years old.
The shop has been a staple in Bilston for generations, known for its quality suits and expert service.
Shoppers have been left saddened by the news, with many sharing messages of support.
One wrote: “Wishing you all the best Chris!! Enjoy your retirement fella!!”
Another said: “Heartbreaking to read this Chris but totally understand your reasoning.”
A third added: “Your suits and service are just the best. No one in Bilston comes close. All the best for the future.”
A fourth wrote warmly: “It’s an amazing achievement to carry on the legacy for so many years, enjoy your retirement now knowing you have made your family proud.”
The announcement marks the end of an era for the independent menswear shop.
Small businesses have been hit hard by increasing rent, energy bills, and changes in shopping habits.
The closing down sale is now underway, offering customers a final chance to shop before the doors close for good.
For locals, it’s a chance to say goodbye to a store that has been part of the community for nearly a century.
RETAIL PAIN IN 2025
The British Retail Consortium has predicted that the Treasury’s hike to employer NICs will cost the retail sector £2.3billion.
Research by the British Chambers of Commerce shows that more than half of companies plan to raise prices by early April.
A survey of more than 4,800 firms found that 55% expect prices to increase in the next three months, up from 39% in a similar poll conducted in the latter half of 2024.
Three-quarters of companies cited the cost of employing people as their primary financial pressure.
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.”
Professor Bamfield has also 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.”
High street woes
The news comes as other retailers, both independent and industry giants, continue to struggle.
Dozens of shops are set to close across the country before the end of the month in the latest blow to UK high streets.
Just a few months in to 2025 and it’s already proving to be another tough year for many major brands.
Rising living costs – which mean shoppers have less cash to burn – and an increase in online shopping has battered retail in recent years.
In some cases, landlords are either unwilling or unable to invest in keeping shops open, further speeding up the closures.
Earlier this month, Essential Vintage told followers on social that it would be closing down after they had been “priced out” because of bigger players in the market such as Vinted.
Whilst, Red Menswear in Chatham in Medway, Kent, shut for the final time on Saturday, March 29, after selling men’s clothing since 1999.
Shoezone, located on Devonshire Road, has confirmed it’s final day of trading will be May 13.
New Look bosses made the decision to axe nearly 100 branches as they battle challenges linked to Autumn Budget tax changes.
Approximately a quarter of the retailer’s 364 stores are at risk when their leases expire.
This equates to about 91 stores, with a significant impact on New Look’s 8,000-strong workforce.
It’s understood the latest drive to accelerate closures is driven by the upcoming increase in National Insurance contributions for employers.
The move, announced by Chancellor Rachel Reeves in October, is expected to hit retailers hard – and the British Retail Consortium has predicted these changes will create a £2.3billion bill for the sector.
Meanwhile, the WHSmith brand name looks set to vanish from British high streets after 230 years
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.
The Sun’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.
