The parlous state of Britain’s high streets has often been remarked upon on Click Tempus. Now here is a personal harbinger of high street reality. Bromley retailer E.W. Payne is set to close its doors after 114 years, following a downturn in local trade.
Bromley was my home town for many years, and E. W. Payne was always the window to watch in terms of new timepieces.
Sadly, the family-run jewellery store founded in 1899, which would have been a thriving concern when War of the Worlds author H. G. Wells was a citizen of Bromley, has become the latest victim of the rapidly changing nature of British shopping trends.
High Streets the length and breadth of the country have been outgunned in recent years by vast out of town shopping malls and the unstoppable power of low cost online shopping, where a greater range of watches can be snapped up at a lower price, leaving stores such as Payne’s mere outlets for trying on a watch before purchasing for less online. If you are reading this from the comfort of Old Town in Scottsdale Arizona, you might be thinking, does this really matter? Well it does, because if it hasn’t already, it will be happening to a beloved store near you.
The locally famous store is due to close this month following a major clearance sale in which £3m worth of stock will be reduced.
E.W. Payne in the summer of 1929
Last year the store welcomed the Queen during the 2012 Diamond Jubilee, but it’s a case of going from entertaining royalty to dealing with recession. They tried to stave off the inevitable by spending thousands on new interiors including additional showroom space on the first floor and even adding a champagne bar.
But, as family member Nick Stanhope states, a nearby shopping mall has negatively impacted sales, taking customers away from the local high street. Stanhope said: “We have been massively affected by Bluewater as shoppers have been drawn away from traditional businesses that pride themselves on delivering great products and exceptional customer service.
Bluewater Shopping Mall, located in Greenhithe in Kent is often mentioned by Andy McNab in his novels as the local shopping mall for his hero Nick Stone.
“As a fourth-generation family member it is devastating news for me, my family and colleagues at E.W. Payne that we have to close after such a long history in Bromley. Over the years we have served many generations of our customers and their family members as they purchased pieces to celebrate special occasions or as gifts.”
Nick Stanhope
Preparations for the clearance sale, with reductions of up to 60% will see the store closed from Sunday June 9 until June 15 when it will open doors at 10am. No doubt the store will enjoy one last nostalgic resurgence as customers pile in to try and snap up a bargain.
