A BELOVED florist will be closing its doors for the last time after 20 years in business.
The owner of the high street gem launched a huge sale as a final hurrah for their loyal customers.
Sally’s Flowers in Newport has been open for 20 years[/caption]
Sharon, the owner of Sally’s Flowers in Upper Bar, Newport, announced on Facebook that she would be shutting up shop on May 20.
The florist, who has been in the industry for 30 years, said the rising costs made it “harder to keep afloat”.
“It is with a heavy heart that we will be closing our doors here at Sally’s Flowers on the 20th May,” she wrote on social media.
“As a small shop the rising prices of everything makes it harder and harder to trade and keep afloat.
“Thank you to all of our lovely local customers and customers from far and wide over the past however many years Sally’s has been on the high street for!
“We are truly grateful for your support, chats and those who had and are going through a hard time.
“We will remain open for the next few months, there will be a sale on all florist items and everything else we have in the shop soon. Again, thank you for your support… It’s been a pleasure,” she concluded.
Devastated to see yet another hard-working independent shop crumble under the pressure, customers rushed to the comment section to share their well wishes.
One wrote: “You have been in town since I was a little girl. Seeing my mum receive beautiful flowers on her birthday and anniversaries, then kindly doing both my parents proud with beautiful arrangements for their funerals. Very sorry to see you go.”
“So sorry to hear this and such a loss for the town. You are always so helpful when I’ve been in, wishing you all the best for the future,” echoed another.
A third wrote: “My youngest daughter’s wedding flowers were done by you… they were fabulous, thank you.”
The shop has 20 percent off for card payments and 30 percent off for cash payments until it’s closure.
A day after Sharon posted her sad news, she shared an update where she told followers that she’d been “overwhelmed” with the messages of support.
“We have been truly blessed to have been able to be part of the high street for so many years and feel so loved as being part of the Newport community, so thank you!”
Sally’s Flowers is the latest casualty of the struggling high street, with closures being announced up and down the country.
Why are retailers closing stores?
RETAILERS have been feeling the squeeze since the pandemic, while shoppers are cutting back on spending due to the soaring cost of living crisis.
High energy costs and a move to shopping online after the pandemic are also taking a toll, and many high street shops have struggled to keep going.
However, additional costs have added further pain to an already struggling sector.
The British Retail Consortium has predicted that the Treasury’s hike to employer NICs from April 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.
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.”
It comes after almost 170,000 retail workers lost their jobs in 2024.
End-of-year figures compiled by the Centre for Retail Research showed the number of job losses spiked amid the collapse of major chains such as Homebase and Ted Baker.
It said its latest analysis showed that a total of 169,395 retail jobs were lost in the 2024 calendar year to date.
This was up 49,990 – an increase of 41.9% – compared with 2023.
It is the highest annual reading since more than 200,000 jobs were lost in 2020 in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced retailers to shut their stores during lockdowns.
The centre said 38 major retailers went into administration in 2024, including household names such as Lloyds Pharmacy, Homebase, The Body Shop, Carpetright and Ted Baker.
Around a third of all retail job losses in 2024, 33% or 55,914 in total, resulted from administrations.
Experts have said small high street shops could face a particularly challenging 2025 because of Budget tax and wage changes.
Professor Bamfield has 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.”
Another independent plant store shut up shop after seven years, telling customers they “can’t pay the bills anymore”.
The beloved plant store, dubbed a ‘one-stop botanical centre in the heart of Gloucester Road’, specialises in a wide range of indoor plants, has an outdoor garden and staff full of knowledge and ready to help any customers.
But it has now been forced to close due to bills skyrocketing.
Wild Leaf, in Bristol, first opened in 2017 and became popular with the locals in the area.
In a statement, Wild Leaf’s owner said: “I have poured my heart and soul into Wild Leaf over the last seven years.
“It’s been a labour of love that has brought much joy and many wonderful people into my life, but has also taken a toll on my health.
“Since summer 2023 sales have been declining and continue to do so.
“Unfortunately there is no sign of economic recovery on the horizon and I am unable to pay my bills.
“I am grateful for all our wonderful customers for supporting Wild Leaf, and my amazing staff whose dedication has helped me keep going.
“Please continue to shop local as much as possible. Business rates are going up next month for many businesses and they will need the community’s support to stay open.”
