We have been spoilt over the last eight or nine years having the wonderful Patisserie Pascal just up the road. Pascal retired a few months ago and new owners took over, but they have not managed to continue the success. They closed a few days ago, and the shop will re-open as a different sort of retailer. Good luck to the new venture.
Beales close their department store on the Fairacres Estate on January 8th 2017.
Beales, which has been trading since 1881, had 29 branches across the UK until they hit financial problems. As a result they are having to restructure and are closing ten of those stores including the one in Abingdon.
Beales in Abingdon sold clothing, beauty products, homewares, toys, electrical goods and gifts, and have a large cafe area upstairs. It has been a popular store, so will we missed by many people in Abingdon. It was Contact Electrical and Comfortmaker (owned by Anglia Retail Cooperative Society) before Beales took it over in 2011.
2016 was a good year with more business gains than losses in Abingdon town centre .
Press on Changes in 2016 for a bigger (pdf) version of the map showing the changes.
Key:
Green is a shop that was vacant at the start of the year which is now occupied.
Yellow means a change of business.
Red is a vacant shop premises that was occupied at the start of the year.
Change in 2007 ( 6 green, 5 yellow, 10 red ) – Net Loss 4
Change in 2008 ( 10 green, 8 yellow, 13 red ) – Net Loss 3
Change in 2009 ( 9 green, 6 yellow, 6 red ) – Net Gain 3
Change in 2010 ( 9 green, 6 yellow, 5 red ) – Net Gain 4
Change in 2011 ( 2 green, 8 yellow, 5 red ) – Net Loss 3
Change in 2012 ( 6 green, 1 yellow, 7 red ) – Net Loss 1
Change in 2013 ( 6 green, 8 yellow, 6 red ) – Net Change 0
Change in 2014 ( 6 green, 8 yellow, 6 red ) – Net Change 0
Change in 2015 ( 6 green, 8 yellow, 6 red ) – Net Change 0
Change in 2016 ( 10 green, 5 yellow, 5 red ) – Net Gain 5
Welcome to:
Abingdon Picture Framing
Costa (in front of the Old Gaol) – I need to add this to the map
Dorindos (restaurant)
Khushi’s Eyebrow Boutique (beauty)
Leona Noronha (natural hairdresser) – opening soon if not opened yet
Marmaris (men’s Turkish barber)
Peacocks and Edinburgh Woollen Mill (clothes)
R&R (coffee + cafe)
Simpsons(Estate Agents)
Velvet Creations (beauty)
Wildwood Kitchen (restaurant)
Goodbye to:
Cottage Imperial
Fantasia Bridal
Fine Guitars
Lucky 7s (betting)
Stan James (betting)
TechnoC – still in Suffolk way
The Olives
Move to new premises:
Superdrug – move to bigger shop
Avicenna – was Smiths before the move to an ex-pub near the Abingdon Surgery
Change to similar business in same premises:
Broad Face – re-opened after major refurbishment
Chaba Thai – expanded to also use the downstairs shop
Jhoots Pharmacy – was Lloyds Phramacy
Patisserie Pascal – new owner after previous owners retired
Smarts (fish and chips) – re-opened after major refurbishment
(let me know any mistakes in this annual roundup)
At Mostly Books I was introduced to Alison Barrow of Transworld Publishing, a division of Penguin with a lot of new exciting books. She is seen here with Nicki Thornton, the co-owner of Mostly Books, who won this year’s Times/Chicken House Children’s Fiction Competition, and will soon have the book published.
In the window of Abingdon’s other independent bookshop, the Bookstore, the polar bears are back on show. I am still dreaming of a White Christmas despite the tabloids saying “White Christmas hopes dashed as Britain braces to be hit by three storms.”
Most of our Christmas shopping is now done. Shopping in Abingdon is easier, and on a more human scale. The crowds and queues in Oxford can make my head spin.
