Much-loved homeware store closes its doors forever after 40 years as shoppers sob ‘you will be missed’
A MUCH-loved homeware store has closed its doors forever after 40 years as shoppers sob “you will be missed.”
Today marks the end of an era for Casa Fina, an independent home accessories store on High Street in Salisbury.
The shop has been trading since 1983. Owner Susi Mason, 58, said: “I’ll be working with my daughter on Saturday which has a lovely symmetry as I worked on our first day back in October 1983 with my mother, Liz.”
Although Susi conceded the closure marked the end of an era, she revealed the space would be used by a new independent business.
She said: “Customers have shared their love of our window displays and mix of vintage and new and have shown genuine sadness that their visits to Casa Fina will be ending, but I’ve shared the news that a new indie will be opening very soon, and I wish them success in this beautiful corner of the city.”
Susi’s mother initially established Casa Fina in 1983, as a franchise. She said: ” My mother widowed very young, and decided to go somewhere different.
“She fell in love with the Casa Fina shop in Surrey, which was a franchise back then.
“She travelled around the country to find the perfect location to have a shop of her own and decided Salisbury was just that.
“I used to help her now and then, then I went off to university and became a teacher, but I packed that in and came back to help in the shop, and haven’t left since.”
Susi is now looking forward to her retirement after decades in retail.
She said: “Anybody who works in retail knows it can be a slog. When you have done the same job for 40 years, it is time for a change.
“I think I’ve got the same list that everyone plans when they retire, I’ll finally tidy the cupboards, and see my friends, I haven’t thought too far ahead just yet.
“Last year I missed out on the summer, so it will be nice to be out in the garden this year.”
In a final post on social media she said : “Today we said goodbye to our regular team of Anne, Chris and Noorie.
“They are all fabulous and I couldn’t have got through the last few weeks without them and the other Casa Fina girls – Ruby, Jackie, Helen and Elaine.
“It was again wonderful to see so many lovely customers dropping in for a last shop and to say goodbye.
“Tomorrow it’s up the last two of us – I’m working with my daughter Imo – to bring Casa Fina to a close. If any of you are passing, do stop by.”
Tributes poured in from local customers.
One said: “Well done you have provided us with the most amazing shopping we are all going for to miss you.”
One local man posted: “One of Salisbury’s most-loved independent businesses will close this Saturday.
“Thank you for all you have done for the independent businesses in Salisbury, your 40-plus years as the face of Salisbury High Street will not be matched by many.
“I’m sure many will join us in wishing you well with your deserved retirement Susi.”
What is happening to the high street?
The pandemic was a tough blow as many stores had to close during lockdown.
Since then energy costs have risen and more shoppers than ever are choosing to order online rather than head into stores.
This has left some remaining retailers grappling with budgets and having no choice but to close stores to cut costs.
The Body Shop is currently going through administration and announced plans to close half of its 198 stores with seven already closed.
Boots revealed it would be closing 300 stores over the next year as part of plans to evolve its brand.
WHSmith told The Sun it has no plans to open anymore more high street stores as it wants to focus on the travel side of its business.
Major banks have also announced multiple branch closures.
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. 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.
Boss Stuart Machin recently said that when it relocated a tired store in Chesterfield to a new big store in a retail park half a mile away, its sales in the area rose by 103 per cent.
In some cases, stores have been shut when a retailer goes bust, as in the case of Wilko, Debenhams Topshop, Dorothy Perkins and Paperchase 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.