Seven thrifty friends who started up Norwich’s Vintage Hub clothes shop are having to close it down.
The Treasure Chest Centre, which sells antiques, and the Vintage Hub which forms part of it in St Benedicts Street, are closing because Pasquale Musso, who runs the building, is retiring.
The ladies, who mostly all run their own vintage clothing labels separately as well, got together last September to launch the clothes store. But they said lockdown had meant more people were now shopping online and Mr Musso, who ran the antiques centre, had decided to close for good when his lease came up for renewal.
Currently both businesses have sales on to clear the stock with the premises shutting at the end of the month. But the ladies will be continuing their own businesses separately.
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Susie Pritchard, who runs her own vintage business Wake Up Little Susie inspired by the 1950s, which is online, said: “We’re only closing the Vintage Hub at the moment as the lease on the antique centre is finishing and no one is taking it over right now. We’re all sad as it was going well but there’s always another adventure around the corner.” She takes her business in pop-up form around various vintage events.
Morwenna Farrell, who customises vintage clothing with her own screenprinting, said: “Our online businesses have been doing really well, people are more on their phones but I am gutted to be losing the shop because it was nice to be part of a group which supported each other and to have my items in an actual shop in the city.”
Vintage Hub and the Treasure Chest Antiques Centre are having a sale of 25pc-50pc off on items.
The vintage clothes store stocked designer fashion labels such as Biba, Ralph Lauren and Jaeger at rock-bottom prices.
The ladies had decided to pool their talents and share their passion for vintage clothes - basically anything from the 1930s to the 1980s. The businesswomen behind the venture were Karen James-Welton, Morwenna Farrell, Sarah Rogers, Sarah Ballard, Jessie Dodd, Susie Pritchard and Loki London.
Mr Musso was contacted for comment.
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