// Heritage London retailer Arthur Beale to close down its shop after 150 years of trading
// It has been unable to pay its rent in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic
// Arthur Beale will shut down on June 24 and has launched a clearance sale
One of London’s oldest retailers is to shut its doors for a final time after it said it was unable to pay its rent following the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Arthur Beale, located on Shaftesbury Avenue in the West End, is to close down after 150 years in the location.
The shop itself, which sells sailing equipment and accessories, was formed as John Buckinghams around 500 years ago.
Arthur Beale is the latest to say its bricks-and-mortar business has been a casualty of the pandemic.
The retailer said it would close the store on June 24 and has launched a clearance sale.
It added that it would continue to operate online and hopes to have a London presence again “some time in the future”.
“The impact of Covid-19 means the company can no longer warrant paying the rents that a central London shop demands so we have no choice but to move on to pastures new,” Arthur Beale said in a statement on social media.
“We were left in a very precarious state as a result of the pandemic but luckily for us we have found two enthusiastic new investors to help inject some much-needed capital back into the business.”
Central London retailers have been particularly impacted by the pandemic, with footfall significantly below pre-pandemic levels due to a sharp reduction in tourism and commuter numbers.
London footfall fell by 47.7 per cent in the four weeks to May 1 compared with the same period in 2019, according to the latest figures from the BRC.
with PA Wires
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