TRADERS are calling for more support for market towns after one of the area’s longest standing firms announced it would be shutting its Chard shop ... but keeping its Ilminster one open.

Jewellers and valuers Gordon Stoker and Son, who have had a store in Chard for 35 years, are closing it down at the end of January.

Neil Stoker, who runs the shop, said it was sad news but less footfall in the town and fewer shops meant that they had no choice.

He added: “We don’t want to disappear from the high street but we don’t have much choice, the shop is no longer viable.

“There are fewer shops in the town and fewer people coming into the town to shop – it’s a vicious circle and I don’t know how we can escape it.

“We are keeping our Ilminster store open, we’ve been there for 50 years and have a lot of support.

“Likewise, our internet business is doing well and we have to adapt to the changing trends.”

Sam Harriman from Harrimans menswear shop in Ilminster closed her shop in Chard last year after experiencing similar problems.

She said: “We held on as long as we could but in the end the store was not worth keeping.

Chard is lacking in basic shops and I think it will take quite a while for that to be built up again. “Ilminster was more viable for us and that’s why we kept our store there open.”

John Barron, who owns Barrons in Chard, added: “There are a lot of reasons why footfall is declining including the choice of shops.

“If there isn’t a great one then people won’t come in as the shopping experience isn’t rewarding.

“I think it is a bigger issue and we need the government to support the small market towns such as Chard.”

Garry Shortland, from the Chard Town Team, said people needed to ‘use it or lose it.

He added: “It is difficult – footfall is low but Chard does not have as many empty shops as other places.

“We try and organise showcase events such as the light switch-on and the Hallowe’en events to encourage people to come into the town and see what we have to offer.

But more traders need to get involved in that as do shoppers.

“It is a group effort here; we need incentives to get people in and to rejuvenate the town, we need to offer variety.


“We’re a small team and always looking for new ideas and people.” Phillip Wyatt, president of Ilminster Chamber of Commerce said: Ilminster is a well supported community town.


“If a shop closes, it very quickly is reopened, there are a lot of independent businesses in the town.

“We always wonder what the magic formula is but I think having a range of shops especially independent or named shops, things people want to go into for, are always going to help.”


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