Historic Brit clothes shop beloved by the Royal Family which supplied Europe's top fashion houses is forced to close

ROYAL SHAME Historic Brit clothes shop beloved by the Royal Family which supplied Europe's top fashion houses is forced to close
A HISTORIC British clothing store once beloved by the Royal Family and known for supplying Europe's top fashion houses has shut down for good—leaving 28 people out of work.
Otterburn Mills, based in Otterburn, Northumberland, with a second store in Rothbury, has gone into liquidation following a series of financial blows.
4
The business was further hit by the sudden loss of a key supplier, soaring operating costs
Credit: Otterburn Mill
4
Those affected are now being supported with access to the Redundancy Payments Service
Credit: Otterburn Mill
The 18th-century mill-turned-retail business struggled to recover after the Covid pandemic, with shop visitor numbers failing to return to pre-2020 levels.
The business was further hit by the sudden loss of a key supplier, soaring operating costs, and a shift in consumer shopping habits away from the high street.
The company, which famously made a pram rug for Queen Elizabeth II in 1926, had recently been put up for sale.
However, no buyer could be found, and business recovery experts FRP were brought in to oversee the winding down of operations.
FRP confirmed that the company has ceased trading and 28 employees have been made redundant.
Those affected are now being supported with access to the Redundancy Payments Service.
Antonya Allison, joint liquidator and director at FRP, said: 'Otterburn Mills was a well-known and respected local business that had built a loyal customer base over many years.
Unfortunately, the retailer was faced with an array of challenging headwinds that many high-street brands will recognise and, despite our best efforts to identify it has not been possible to find a viable way forward for the business.
Our focus is now on supporting those affected and working to ensure the best possible outcome for creditors through the liquidation process.'
The business also had debts owed to HMRC.
We live next to a Sainsbury's where 'defeaning' building work is ruining our lives – we haven't slept for a week
FRP added that it is 'working with all stakeholders to ensure an orderly wind down of the business and to maximise returns for creditors.'
Otterburn Mills rose to prominence under William Waddell, the son of a Borders wool manufacturer, and built a reputation for its tweeds and woven fabrics.
These high-quality materials were once used by major European fashion houses including Dior and Balmain.
The site was transformed into a retail clothing store in the 1990s by Euan Pringle, who preserved much of the original mill machinery as part of the shop's heritage display.
The closure adds to a growing list of British retail losses in recent months.
The Original Factory Shop has begun closing down sales at several branches across Worcestershire, Dorset, Durham and other parts of the UK, as part of its wider restructuring.
Poundland, recently sold to a US-based firm for just £1, is facing the potential closure of around 100 of its 800 UK shops, with job losses expected.
House of Fraser is also shutting down its Worcester city centre store, where a 20 per cent off closing down sale has already begun ahead of its final trading day in September.
Meanwhile, fashion chain River Island is drawing up a radical rescue plan to avoid collapse, which includes shutting some stores.
Its Banbury branch is set to close at the end of June, and more may follow as the retailer attempts to recover from a £33.2 million loss last year.
Industry experts say these closures reflect broader trends, including rising energy bills, business rates, and staffing costs.
Many shoppers have moved online or prefer to visit large retail parks over traditional town centres.
The Centre for Retail Research has warned that more than 17,000 UK stores could shut their doors in 2025, putting up to 202,000 retail jobs at risk.
The loss of Otterburn Mills, a once-thriving symbol of British textile heritage, underlines the deepening crisis for both independent shops and national retail chains across the UK.
Without meaningful support or change in consumer habits, more historic names could be lost from the high street for good.
RETAIL PAIN IN 2025
The British Retail Consortium predicted that the Treasury's hike to employer NICs would cost the retail sector £2.3billion.
Research published by the British Chambers of Commerce earlier this year shows that more than half of companies planned to raise prices by early April.
Separately, 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."
4
Many shoppers have moved online or prefer to visit large retail parks over traditional town centres
Credit: Otterburn Mill

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Scottish Sun

2 hours ago

• Scottish Sun

Huge high street retailer launches 20% off closing down sale ahead of store shutting for good in weeks

No reason for the abrupt closure has been given to customers GAME OVER Huge high street retailer launches 20% off closing down sale ahead of store shutting for good in weeks A HUGE high street retailer has launched a 20 per cent off going out of business sale with just weeks left until the store shuts for good. The hugely popular town centre video game shop is due to close down in a matter of weeks it has announced. 4 The store now has signs in the window announcing its imminent closure Credit: Google Maps 4 Several GAME stores have closed across the UK recently Credit: Alamy GAME, in Festival Place, Basingstoke, suddenly announced it will be closing down next month. The retailer will be holding a 20 per cent off everything closing down sale before shutting up shop for good on August 10. GAME sells a variety of video games, consoles and pop culture merchandise. The retailer came under fire recently when it cancelled pre-orders of heavily anticipated Nintendo Switch 2 consoles. Its Basingstoke location is now due to close for good with signs seen in the window announcing the closure. No reason has been given for the retailers abrupt departure from the shopping centre. Products including popular video games and Lego sets have had their stock prices reduced. Retailer GAME, which specialises in consoles, games and accessories was acquired by Frasers Group in 2019 as part of a £52 million deal. The retailer has closed a number of locations across the UK in recent months. Signs in the window of the Basingstoke store read: "This store will cease trading on 10th August. Why are so many shops going bust? "Please shop online at A number of GAME stores have closed with some being converted into concessions within Sports Direct and other Frasers Group stores. Locals have been left disappointed by the news of the Basingstoke location's closure. Following Frasers Group acquiring GAME in 2019 significant restructuring and downsizing of the video game retailer has commenced. While plans don't indicate that the stores will disappear from the British high street completely many locations are expected to close. 4 The retailer has launched a 20 per cent off all stock closing down sale Credit: Alamy 4 The store will be sorely missed by locals Credit: Google Maps Downfall of GAME Game was acquired by billionaire businessman Mike Ashley's Frasers Group in 2019 as part of a £52million deal. However, by January 2020, the retailer announced plans to close 40 of its more than 300 stores across the UK. Today, there are approximately 240 Game stores operating nationwide. This decline comes amid a significant drop in sales of physical video games, compared to Game's heyday in the early 2000s. The Digital Entertainment and Retail Association (ERA) revealed that in 2022, nearly 90 per cent of all video games sold in the UK were digital downloads.

Daily Mirror

2 hours ago

• Daily Mirror

Brits could see summer holiday spending boost - see full list of destinations

The strength of the pound against most other currencies has boosted Brits' spending power when they head abroad this summer, research had found, in some cases by a lot Millions of Brits planning foreign holidays this summer will be quids in thanks to the pound's strength, a recent report has found. Sterling's gain against a host of currencies has boosted families' spending power - in some cases by a lot. For instance, the pound's 30% rise against the lira in the past year means holidaymakers jetting to Turkey will have a bumper £116 more to spend for every £500. That is equivalent to a couple of three course meals for two, with wine, in the Turkish resort of Marmaris, plus four beers. Those considering a long-haul break to Mexico will have almost £57 per £500 extra thanks to a near 13% increase against the peso, according to the Post Office Travel Money's Holiday Spending Report. ‌ ‌ It reveals that the UK pound is stronger than a year ago against 25 of the 30 currencies and has gained ground against 80% of them since March. Others in the top 10 list of spending power gainers include Egypt, Australia, and New Zealand. Brits thinking of a trip to the States will also get more bang for their buck thanks to sterling's 6.6% rise against the US dollar, meaning they would have almost £31 per £500 more to spend than this time last year. Despite that, many people are seemingly having second thoughts about going on holiday to the USA. The main concern is that US President Donald Trump 's trade tariffs will mean higher prices - cited by 78% of those polled - rather than his politics in general. Those heading to Europe will also be better off, though not by so much. Sterling is just 0.9% up against the euro year-on-year, meaning Brits have £4.50 per £500 more spending power across the pond than last summer. The Post Office report also found a sharp rise in the number of people planning trips abroad. Two-thirds of those surveyed said they intend to take a foreign holiday this year , with more than half having already booked their trip. That is despite growing concerns voiced by nine-in-ten of them about whether they have enough money to afford the trip. Over three-quarters said exchange rates were a big concern for them. When it came to people's views on the best value destinations, Brit-favourite Spain came top, followed by Turkey, Thailand, Portugal, Greece and Italy. When it came to their trip abroad, 82% of holidaymakers said they had set a budget averaging £377, but most admitted overspending. ‌ Laura Plunkett, head of travel money at the Post Office, which accounts for one-in-four UK foreign exchange transactions, said: 'This year's holiday spending research again demonstrates that holidaymakers don't always set a realistic budget and overspend by large amounts as a result. It's great to hear that holidaymakers are already planning to budget more for their holidays this year, to avoid coming unstuck when they arrive at their destination.' The report also found that many holidaymakers are paying over the odds for transactions abroad. While it advisable to carry some cash overseas, one-in-five in the survey said relied solely on plastic to pay for purchases, and just over a quarter changed less than £100 into foreign currency. As a consequence, holidaymakers can into difficulties. From the poll, 7% said they had tried to pay a restaurant, shop or bar bill with a credit card, only to find that it was not accepted. More than one-in-ten also fell foul of a practice known as Dynamic Currency Conversion by agreeing to pay on their card in sterling rather than local currency, incurring unnecessary transaction charges as a result. Ms Plunkett said: 'Paying on a debit or credit card may seem like a convenient way to pay for things while abroad, but our research suggests that this can be a costly practice. Far too many holidaymakers told us that they paid significantly more than they anticipated because of the transaction charges made for using credit and debit cards at an overseas ATM."

South Wales Argus

2 hours ago

• South Wales Argus

Creative industries to get £380m boost ahead of industrial strategy launch

The investment, announced by Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy, will see £380 million spent on a range of projects intended to double private investment in the creative industries. Ms Nandy said the investment would 'boost regional growth, stimulate private investment, and create thousands more high-quality jobs'. The figure includes £25 million for research into cutting-edge technologies such as the virtual avatars used in Abba Voyage, and £75 million to support the film industry. It will also see £30 million put towards backing start-up video games companies – an industry worth billions of pounds to the UK – and another £30 million for the music industry, including an increase in funding for grassroots venues. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said the investment would create thousands of jobs in Britain's creative industries. (Andrew Matthews/PA) Another £150 million will be split between the mayors of Manchester, Liverpool, the West Midlands, West Yorkshire, the North East and the West of England to support creative businesses in their regions. The announcement comes as the Government prepares to publish its industrial strategy next week, billed as a 10-year, multibillion-pound plan to back certain sectors and secure growth for the UK economy. The creative industries are set to be one of the winners, with a plan for the sector expected to be published alongside the wider industrial strategy. Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said: 'The UK's creative industries are world-leading and have a huge cultural impact globally, which is why we're championing them at home and abroad as a key growth sector in our modern industrial strategy.' But earlier this month, the Government also rejected a planning application for a major new film studio near Holyport, in Berkshire, over its impact on the green belt. The £380 million has been welcomed by the industry, with the Broadcasting, Entertainment, Communications and Theatre Union (Bectu) saying it was a 'show of commitment to the sector'. But Bectu chief Philippa Childs said creative workers would also be looking for 'sustained support' from the Government as the sector 'recovers from a series of external shocks'. Recent years have seen the sector rocked by Covid, the cost-of-living crisis and concerns about the impact of AI and Donald Trump's threat to impose tariffs on films made outside the US. Conservative shadow culture secretary Stuart Andrew accused Labour of threatening the 'very survival' of the creative industries. He said: 'From their national insurance jobs tax to their business rates hike, Labour are pushing creative businesses to the brink, and we now know that Rachel Reeves has a secret plan to raise taxes – meaning things will only get worse. 'Labour must recognise that their economic mismanagement is dealing a devasting blow to the sector.'