Shop owner retires after 40 years at historic store

For the past 40 years, Martin Coles-Evans has rarely had a weekend off while running a shop that has served the community for more than a century.

The 55-year-old took over the homeware store Hargreaves in Buxton, in Derbyshire, from his parents, but is now retiring and the building is up for sale.

"I think I've done a long enough shift," he said. "The next generation of our family have chosen their own path, so Hargreaves was always going to end with me.

"I've just taken the decision that now is the time for me to move on and experience the world a bit more."

Martin said the next generation of his family did not want to take over the business and it would close when the building was sold.

Founded by Alice Hargreaves in 1865, the business sold glass and china from her father's grocery shop on Eagle Parade just off the market place.

Martin's family took over at the turn of the 20th Century and bought its current premises on Spring Gardens.

Martin and his husband Kelly Coles-Evans, who is also retiring from the business, are keen to travel and are considering relocating to France, if only to escape the town's long winters.

Martin said he would miss the people he had worked with over the years; the staff, the customers and sales reps - some of whom had become close friends of the family.

Hargreaves trades online, but this is just a small part of its business and, according to Martin, there is still a big demand for this type of traditional store.

"The big department stores; Harrods, Fortnum and Mason - they thrive," he said.

"They're traditional like us and they're still going strong and they always will do."

Martin added one reason that the business has lasted so long was that his family had their finger on the pulse when it came to shopping trends.

They started specialising in cookware and kitchenware 25 years ago, when there was a boom in the popularity of television chefs such as Jamie Oliver, Gordon Ramsay and Nigella Lawson.

"That was the start of a much bigger picture. So our timing was perfect for that and our cook shop is well established," he added.

"But you've got to move with the times. As with all businesses, you've got to stay relevant and we have done over the many, many decades."

And despite the growth in online sales, Martin maintains that people prefer face-to-face shopping.

"Customer care is paramount. Without care for the customers, you don't have any custom," he added.

The decision to sell Hargreaves comes as Buxton town centre as a whole is at a turning point.

The shop is opposite the shopping centre, which is part of a proposed multi-million pound development, including shops, restaurants, bars and more than 300 new homes.

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