End of an era for historic Worcester shop

9:20am Friday 8th July 2011 in News Photograph of the Author By Richard Vernalls, @rvernallsWN #worcsnews

FOR SALE: G R Pratley and Sons has been in the same spot in The Shambles for 131 years – but now its owners are looking for a buyer. Picture by Nick Toogood. 27309202 FOR SALE: G R Pratley and Sons has been in the same spot in The Shambles for 131 years – but now its owners are looking for a buyer. Picture by Nick Toogood. 27309202

A 131-YEAR-old Worcester porcelain merchant has put its premises up for sale.

The proud name of G R Pratley and Sons is as closely linked with the city as Royal Worcester Porcelain.

Its store has been at 16 The Shambles – one of the oldest shopping precincts in the city – since 1880.

Now its 5,392 sq ft freehold premises have been listed for sale with agents Halls with an asking price of £1 million.

The owners said the building was not cost-effective given the high street’s economic woes, but stressed the business was continuing to trade and is open as usual.

Business partner Michael Sedgley said: “We’re testing the market. The reason for the sale is that business rates are too high and the footfall has dropped away.”

The emporium is an Aladdin’s cave of glass, china, rugs and specialist furnishings and belongs to one of the city’s oldest surviving trading families. It has a reputation for piling stock high at discount prices.

Comments(30)

jb says...
9:31am Fri 8 Jul 11

That is such a shame, I love walking round Pratley's and have bought some lovely pieces from there and it's quite an interesting building to walk around. More of Worcester's history disappearing, it's quite sad really.

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MR H Marks says...
9:42am Fri 8 Jul 11

Very sad, hopefully things will turn around for them. Love spending time in there looking through the interesting items, and buying. I suppose though a business of this nature can only go on as long as there is someone left to run it. Hope it can stay as long as possible.

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slothbear says...
10:09am Fri 8 Jul 11

Nooo! This can't happen, it's a great shop. We don't want a bland high-street with all the same chain stores as you find everywhere else.

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jovialcommonsense says...
10:21am Fri 8 Jul 11

Does this mean the business will continue and rent back the premises, or is looking to continue at another location, or will be closing down once a purchaser is found????

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dulon says...
12:05pm Fri 8 Jul 11

This is another ramification of our councils policy.Out of town shopping centres and all centred around the car and large supermarkets.
Our latest developments in lowesmoor just about sums it up. What chance does a small local business in the centre stand
from this constant erosion ?.
JB you are probably one of the few that 'love to walk'

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Maggie Would says...
12:53pm Fri 8 Jul 11

Hmmm. I did wonder the last time I was in there - it only had about 30% of the usual stock, very little stuff to sort of 'scavenge' through. It was very tidy!
It's a great shame nonetheless. Also, I used to **** over the lovely antique oak tables in the back but couldn't afford any of them.

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CJH says...
1:03pm Fri 8 Jul 11

What did you do over the tables Maggie???

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Maggie Would says...
1:07pm Fri 8 Jul 11

What!
I l-usted over them, that's what!
But not in a rude way. The sight of a naked Maggie strewn across them would have precipitated Pratley's demise for sure!

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The Kop says...
1:41pm Fri 8 Jul 11

I love the place, will miss it greatly if it goes. I have bought a few things from there over the years but always promised myself that if I won the lottery I go in there and spend a fortune. If I win tonight I promise I will buy the place and keep it open!

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presterjohn says...
3:19pm Fri 8 Jul 11

Councils all over the country are going to have to seriousely rethink their policies on business rates in town centres, before the centres of all our great towns become ghetos filled with boarded up premises and charity shops.

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spider666 says...
3:26pm Fri 8 Jul 11

CJH wrote:
What did you do over the tables Maggie???
Glad you had the courage to ask the question lol

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spider666 says...
3:26pm Fri 8 Jul 11

Glad you had the courage to ask the question lol

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GroovyChick says...
3:46pm Fri 8 Jul 11

Maggie Would wrote:
Hmmm. I did wonder the last time I was in there - it only had about 30% of the usual stock, very little stuff to sort of 'scavenge' through. It was very tidy!
It's a great shame nonetheless. Also, I used to **** over the lovely antique oak tables in the back but couldn't afford any of them.
Oh this made me laugh! Why would WN not print ****, it looks worse now, but still made my chuckle, especially Maggies comment.

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GroovyChick says...
3:48pm Fri 8 Jul 11

oh, they didn't print it on my comment either

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martduke says...
5:43pm Fri 8 Jul 11

i,m only 47 and its a big part of the city heritage.smashing place to take young kids.not!!!!

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Jabbadad says...
10:04am Sat 9 Jul 11

The Pratleys were an important part of the old Worcester City centre, particularly the Shambles of the old dynasty of market / shop keepers. There were absolute characters such as Fishy (Bill) Thompson great friends with the Pratleys, Betty & Don Hale, the many butchers, Sid Smith, (whose grandson still has a lovely butchers stall in the Market Hall), two shops called Andrews who like several other butchers had a slaughter house at the rear of the premises, Edgar Smith & son Bill, the list and tales could go on and on.
Thank you to all who gave our city this rich history, very well reported by Mike Grundy in All Our Yesterdays.

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Amber2011 says...
6:58pm Sat 9 Jul 11

this is a shame.... another piece of Worcester's history down the drain.... what is left in Worcester apart from empty shops and shops you find in all towns. there is hardly anything to bring people to the town any more :(

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New Kid on the Block says...
7:54pm Sat 9 Jul 11

What do people expect to happen when large chain stores keep opening?
Stores such as Tesco, Homebase, Next, Dunelm Mill etc are all taking trade from shops such as Pratleys.
Go to your kitchens and look at where you bought your crockery. Most of you will have bought it from a large chain store. That is the reason for the demise of the independent supplier.
The new development in Lowesmoor could well result in more closures in the high street. Just like the new Sainsbury store in St Johns is trying to take the trade away from the other shops in the area.

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CJH says...
8:58pm Sat 9 Jul 11

"Just like the new Sainsbury store in St Johns is trying to take the trade away from the other shops in the area"
.
They are a business, not a charity. What do you expect them to do? You are naive if you think otherwise. We are not in Edwardian Britain, it's 2011.

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New Kid on the Block says...
10:05pm Sat 9 Jul 11

That is my exact point. These shops open with the promise of creating jobs when in fact all they do is to take them away from somewhere else.
People will only buy a certain number of tins of beans. What they buy from the supermarket they don't buy elsewhere.
But supermarkets sell more goods per member of staff (hence the self serve tills) so they actually reduce employment, resulting in an increased welfare bill. This bill is paid from our taxes. So do supermarkets actually save you any money in the long term?

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Jabbadad says...
10:23pm Sat 9 Jul 11

As a supermarket customer for some things, I have to hang my head in shame, particularly as a supermarket was responsible for taking our business as butchers away and finally closing us down.
Also I am aware that Sainsbury and I am sure other supermarkets are not providing the self service tills for the customers sake but all about profits their profits.
I do refuse to use the self service since I saw this as a threat to staff jobs, and I am right, since I am aware that with Sainsbury Blackpole the two self service lines resulted in 200 staff hours being cut and less full time and more part time staff.
So think about the jobs, don't use those self service tills.

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Maggie Would says...
10:44pm Sat 9 Jul 11

I don't use self service tills.
Supermarkets are the spawn of the devil.
However, regarding Sainsburys St Johns, it does yellow Babybels so it can stay.
For now. Come the revolution .......

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Hack says...
12:17pm Sun 10 Jul 11

Like many, our family and the families of my one-time mother-in-law and her parents, have used Pratley's. Perusing the piled high offers was always a treat. The shop and its marketing never changed, so perhaps that has something to do with a fall-off in sales; after all this is not the first 'recession' in the company's history. One has to query if there is not a need to grade council tax rates in retailers (providing one does not already exist), corner shops and stores like Pratley's that are privately owned, should be treated sympathetically; any shortfall being moved to the chain store groups.
I feel if you ask any of the many thousands of tourists, UK and from around the world, they would see this retailer as I do, an icon. An icon in a scene of mediocrity.

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Tim Woodward says...
3:35pm Sun 10 Jul 11

Even though the usual doom mongers have commented on this story, I find myself agreeing with the majority of the comments made on this post. The history and charachter of a Town or City can be defined by the longevity of independent businesses. I find it extoradinary that we in Worcester are losing our independent shops in droves. Succumbing to the pressures of unscrupolous Chain stores is a real threat to our high street. Who can we blame but ourselves for shopping in the chain stores en-masse? I aslo like Jabbadad hold my head in shame preferring convenience and interacting with a robot (auto-tills) to save a second or two. A vicous cycle exists.
Regarding the pratley's it may have to do with a story the Worcester News ran a couple of weeks ago, regarding land outlined in his London Road estate to build around a fair number of houses on it, may be they need the cash for that who knows?

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CJH says...
4:24pm Sun 10 Jul 11

"Succumbing to the pressures of unscrupolous (sic) Chain stores is a real threat to our high street". Why are they unscrupulous? They are businesses. They have shareholders who invest in them. What do you expect them to do?

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New Kid on the Block says...
7:42pm Sun 10 Jul 11

CJH wrote:
"Succumbing to the pressures of unscrupolous (sic) Chain stores is a real threat to our high street". Why are they unscrupulous? They are businesses. They have shareholders who invest in them. What do you expect them to do?
I would expect them to trade in a fair and ethical manner. There is plenty of evidence that this is not the case.
http://news.bbc.co.u
k/1/hi/business/8311
930.stm
Or http://www.tescopoly
.org/index.php?optio
n=com_content&task=v
iew&id=940&Itemid=97

Or perhaps http://business.time
sonline.co.uk/tol/bu
siness/industry_sect
ors/retailing/articl
e2602501.ece
Or maybe http://www.foe.co.uk
/resource/briefings/
the_tesco_takeover.p
df
Just a few of the many articles very critical about Supermarket trading methods that can very easily be found if you care to look.
Watch the video, read the articles and have a think. Do you really approve of firms that indulge in these bully-boy tactics?

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WorcsBorn&Bred says...
8:07pm Sun 10 Jul 11

Tim Woodward wrote:
Even though the usual doom mongers have commented on this story, I find myself agreeing with the majority of the comments made on this post. The history and charachter of a Town or City can be defined by the longevity of independent businesses. I find it extoradinary that we in Worcester are losing our independent shops in droves. Succumbing to the pressures of unscrupolous Chain stores is a real threat to our high street. Who can we blame but ourselves for shopping in the chain stores en-masse? I aslo like Jabbadad hold my head in shame preferring convenience and interacting with a robot (auto-tills) to save a second or two. A vicous cycle exists.
Regarding the pratley's it may have to do with a story the Worcester News ran a couple of weeks ago, regarding land outlined in his London Road estate to build around a fair number of houses on it, may be they need the cash for that who knows?
Hi Tim. Been looking for the link as regards the development of the Pratley estate off London Road. Do you have it? I've seen the site on the South Worcestershire Development Plan and have heard it's for some 22 homes. They also own land that holds an almost derelict garage on Victoria Avenue. Talk has always been that the land there has never been built on as this would provide the access to any redevelopment. I can see why readers are getting very sentimental about a shop that sold large quantities of best seconds china - I just hope they're equally sentimental about changes to an important wildlife area and green lung in the centre of the city - especially if any money that comes from the sale of shop goes toward the redevelopment.

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gemma6 says...
9:16pm Sun 10 Jul 11

WorcsBorn&Bred wrote:
Tim Woodward wrote: Even though the usual doom mongers have commented on this story, I find myself agreeing with the majority of the comments made on this post. The history and charachter of a Town or City can be defined by the longevity of independent businesses. I find it extoradinary that we in Worcester are losing our independent shops in droves. Succumbing to the pressures of unscrupolous Chain stores is a real threat to our high street. Who can we blame but ourselves for shopping in the chain stores en-masse? I aslo like Jabbadad hold my head in shame preferring convenience and interacting with a robot (auto-tills) to save a second or two. A vicous cycle exists. Regarding the pratley's it may have to do with a story the Worcester News ran a couple of weeks ago, regarding land outlined in his London Road estate to build around a fair number of houses on it, may be they need the cash for that who knows?
Hi Tim. Been looking for the link as regards the development of the Pratley estate off London Road. Do you have it? I've seen the site on the South Worcestershire Development Plan and have heard it's for some 22 homes. They also own land that holds an almost derelict garage on Victoria Avenue. Talk has always been that the land there has never been built on as this would provide the access to any redevelopment. I can see why readers are getting very sentimental about a shop that sold large quantities of best seconds china - I just hope they're equally sentimental about changes to an important wildlife area and green lung in the centre of the city - especially if any money that comes from the sale of shop goes toward the redevelopment.
I would also be interested to see the link. I was told (by someone who lived in the Avenue) that the trees are hundreds of years old and have a protection order on them.

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Tim Woodward says...
10:49pm Thu 14 Jul 11

apologies i have been away for a bit, i will try dig it out and get back to you. it may be a co incidence but i don't believe in them i will keep you posted

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RowingEm says...
8:19pm Thu 5 Jul 12

Apparently the shop is going to be a new Entertainer ! :*(
I am 16 and i love that shop..... will be sad to see it go ...its a part of Worcester's history ....... it seem that Worcester is becoming to modernised to encourage more visitors, but in a way it seems that Worcester is now loosing more local people because of the change in shops ..... :*(

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