The Thrifty store has sadly failed to reach their fundraising goal needed in order to keep the store open.
The store, which can be found on King street, has blamed a multitude of issues for the reason they may have to close such as COVID-19, Brexit and Sheffield City Council’s Grey to Green scheme reducing their visibility.
Bally Johal, owner of the store said: “The Pandemic was two and half years lost when it comes to our customer base. Students during that time left which lost our community and 60 percent of our trade.”
Mr Johal also stated Sheffield’s Grey to Green Scheme which aimed to re-connect the Castlegate area with the city centre hid them behind fencing, making it hard to find them.
This comes as Sheffield high street is seeing numerous closures with shops moving to other areas of the city which was led by Primark in 2019.
According to Mr Johal, this has had an affect on the area, who said: “When Primark was there we used to do quite well now we’re just a lone crusader sat with nothing around us”.
Having six months to decide what to do with the store, it is now only run by Mr Johal who had to let go of his staff which he paid £15,000 over the last year out of his own pocket.
Importing from America and Europe in the past, the store has struggled post-Brexit and pandemic to do so, claiming that the costs to do so from America has risen to £6,000 for minimum orders.
Mr Johal said: “It’s difficult because it is part of me, you put your energy into something, build a brand for nine years and then you hand it over to people and it doesn’t quite work the same way, which is not their fault and I can’t pay them a lot”.
Mr Johal owns multiple businesses in the city including Bal Fashions, a club which recently saw itself named number nine in TimeOut Magazine’s ’25 most banging night’s out in the UK’.
He also stated anyone who mentions this article when visiting the store will be offered 20 percent off.
