Historic town faces series of high street shop closures

While the riverside town has lots of popular cafes in and around the market place, and plenty of thriving pubs and barbers, some businesses have closed, with others set to shut.

It emerged earlier this month that American coffee chain Starbucks is expected to shut its branch in the market place in September, and the British Heart Foundation shop in Bury Street precinct is due to close in December.

READ MORE: US coffee chain pulls out of town market place

Some shops have already shut – Lottie’s Bakeaway selling cupcakes and drinks in Stert Street closed earlier this month, alongside gifts and accessories shop The Finishing Touch.

British Heart Foundation in Abingdon (Image: Andy Ffrench)

Pablo Lounge, a cafe and bar on the corner of Bury Street next to the market place, closed a year ago and has not been replaced.

And the T&G Jones chain, formerly WH Smith, is in financial difficulties, which could place the town’s branch in the precinct under threat of closure.

The former Peacock’s clothes shop, also in the precinct, closed in 2021.

Lottie’s Bakeaway in Abingdon (Image: Andy Ffrench)

Ian Collett, who runs The Bookstore in the precinct, said when retail units in the town close, they could stay empty for a long time.

Ian Collett, owner of The Bookstore in Abingdon (Image: Andy Ffrench)

He added: “It’s not a particularly attractive financial climate for new businesses right now.

“High street retail is tough – my business rates have more than doubled in the past year.

“Hospitality venues have been given a reduction in business rates, but so far there’s nothing for shops.

“We have also had to face a rise in national insurance and an increase in utility bills.

“The fact that we are seeing a growing number of empty units reflects how difficult it is out there, particularly for independent businesses.”

The former Pablo Lounge unit in Bury Street, Abingdon (Image: Andy Ffrench)

Mr Collett added: “A town like Abingdon relies on having a good mix of independent shops but perhaps we are not getting enough support.

“Other towns have longer free parking in their council car parks – we only have an hour and if it was longer it would encourage more people to come here to shop and stay for a cup of coffee.”

It is not only shops and cafes in the town which have closed – the NatWest bank branch shut last year, and the building in the market place has remained empty ever since.

The NatWest bank in Abingdon Market Place (Image: Andy Ffrench)

Price’s Stationers, a family-run business traded in Stert Street for 31 years until it shut in 2021 and has remained unused.

The former Abingdon Sports shop in High Street, which became a grocery store for a short time, is expected to become a nursery business.

There have been a number of business success stories as well as closures – Jill Carver’s Added Ingredients deli returned to Stert Street last year following a break, and the Cay Khe Vietnamese cafe and noodle bar, has also proved popular.

Staff at Missing Bean, an independent cafe in Stert Street, recently celebrated its fifth birthday.

And Brown’s Traditional Butchers has opened in Bath Street, attracting queues of customers.