Stead and Simpson in St Ives to close

ST IVES shoe shop Stead and Simpson is set to close.

The town’s retail sector had seen a bit of revival recently with the opening of three new shops and a restaurant.

Express Yo Style in The Broadway, gift and toy shop Jibber Jabber in Station Road, and a new nail bar in Bridge Street have all recently opened, while Amore, an Italian restaurant on the Quay, been serving customers for three weeks in the building once occupied by Number 4our, which closed on Christmas Eve last year.

Jewellery shop Cloud Nine Gems has also moved from Bridge Street to a larger store in Market Hill, and a new shop, The Curiosity Gallery, is due to move in next door at the beginning of September.

However, Stead and Simpson, which has been in Crown Street for nine years, will close.

A spokesman for the shoe company confirmed the closure and said the decision was the result of “poor performance and rising costs, which make the location unsustainable”.

She added: “The decision to close a store is always a difficult one and is not taken lightly. We always try to re-deploy any staff affected to nearby stores wherever possible.

“The date of closure is not yet confirmed, and we always communicate this to our staff first.”

The closure will mean the retail sector in St Ives has remained reasonably stable – there will be the same number of available units as this time last year – nine – when Stead and Simpson closes.

Town centre manager Jane Bowd said: “It’s encouraging for the town to see so many shops open.”

“It’s good news for Cloud Nine, as they’re expanding into a bigger store,” Mrs Bowd added. “I’ve heard rumours that the former Dream Doors outlet is also going to be replaced soon – it’s promising for the town.”

She added: “We’re lucky here that we never seem to have long-term vacant shops, except for Warehouse Clearance, which is a huge store, so, if a company leaves, another one comes in quickly.”