County Stores – more good news
I know many of our readers will be delighted to hear that rumours of the demise of County Stores, Taunton, have been exaggerated. Yesterday the iconic store on Taunton’s North Street announced that it would not close at the end of this month as had originally been announced. In the end it was the loyalty of customers and the loyalty of staff that persuaded the business, still family owned after a century and a half, to carry on.
In the long term, the family will be looking for new tenants for the sight but after what has clearly been an emotional few months, they have decided to carry on trading “for the foreseeable future.” County Stores Director, James Duder, noted that “We have been overwhelmed by the huge amount of support from customers and staff who expressed sorrow at the proposed closure and urged us to stay open.” James also used the occasion to express gratitude to “many of the 61 staff who had stayed loyal to the business and have continued to work throughout this challenging period.”
In the meantime of course, the message is clear. The store can only keep going in its current format if people use it and support it. So if you want to pick up your Somerset Leveller, pop into their restaurant, have a cup of tea and perhaps buy some groceries on the way out. Just sayin…..