... or Butting Out
It is with great sadness we record the demise of Lewis Electrics, a firm serving Rhuthun/Ruthin and its hinterland for at least 40 years. It began as Butland's in Castle Street before moving to Well Street as Lewis Electrical and finally, in 1989, to large premises (below) on Lôn Parcwr. With its passing, it marks another milestone in the retail trading environment, as personal habits evolve in a changing world.
My parents were strong supporters of the Lewises and they bought virtually everything from them. My parents and their generation realised that Lewis wasn't always the cheapest but they had the comfort of knowing that the Lewises would always set things up and be back if problems arose.
I cannot say that I have used Lewis Electrics to the same extent, not latterly, anyway. It grows ever more difficult to resist the lure of out-of-town deals and choice. For my parents' generation, horizons were never very distant. With very few of that generation left, Lewis has lost the bedrock upon which his business was built. The younger you are, the more likely you will embrace the sort of changes we see in retailing; this includes shopping online, of course.
Ah, the internet! Lewis Electrics is blaming online retail as a reason for closure. And they're very right.
The Lewises also blame supermarkets. By them, I assume they also mean out-of-own warehouses (actually not dissimilar to Lewis's current premises) but ones that could offer economies of scale, reduced retail prices and extended opening hours. The aggregate population required to support such stores simply isn't in Rhuthun and while this actually means we have a goodly number of independent stores & retailers there is a tipping point at which some businesses cannot compete. Lewis has felt that such a point has arrived.
Again, Lewis found himself in some hot water. Not long after Rhuthun's Tesco, Lewis Electrics decided to stop selling light bulbs, kettles and small consumer appliances, citing competition from Tesco itself. It seemed somewhat incongruous that you could no longer go to an electrician to buy bulbs and batteries. Lewis's irrational decision did result in some disquiet. Who knows whether it actually damaged trade, though. Fortunately, Ruthin Décor had no such qualms and took up the mantle in supplying small items. Indeed, Ruthin Décor actually purchased Lewis's entire stock of bulbs.
So, where does this leave Rhuthun? Bulbs & batteries are available at Ruthin Décor, Tesco and the Co-op. Tesco sells a limited range of small electrical appliances. Occasionally, the Co-op will have something in as a special offer. The nearest electrical store is the longstanding E Jones of Dinbych. Michel Davies trades in Yr Wyddgrug/Mold, where you can find all sorts of parts and smaller items. Plus, there's a larger Tesco there, offering more electrical products than in Rhuthun. Otherwise, it's the Rhuddlan retail park near Rhyl or Wrexham or Broughton or Chester… or the internet.
So, larger stores and the internet are the two reasons behind the Lewises's decision to close. Let's also not forgot that although not quite there Peter and Jane (née Astles) are also approaching retirement.
Yet, as electrical products at Lewis join new cars at Slaters as history, you can't help wondering that this is a backward step.
When Lewis opened his Lôn Parcwr warehouse, for a number of years, he retained his Well Street shop. Well Street specialised in small appliances like lamps, kettles & toasters, whereas Lôn Parcwr greatly expanded white goods (e.g. freezers, cookers) and televisions. Well Street still had an old-fashioned counter at the back of the shop, behind which Hilda Lewis would preside. Lôn Parcwr had a separate office where staff would retreat. This gave a somewhat unfriendly feel. Lewis latterly rented part of its premises to Uptown Furnishings. Uptown established itself in 2008 and moved to Lewis's in November 2011. They continue at the premises.
Meanwhile, when Lewis closed Well Street, the premises remained empty for a number of years, before Nelson's. This was the idea of Peter & Jane Lewis's daughter, Victoria. Nelson was the name of her grandfather and it featured interior household gifts and a café at the rear, mainly patronised, it would seem, by young mothers like Victoria herself.
After Nelson's and a replacement café both folded, Lewis Electrics briefly reprised their Well Street premises in 2013 or, more correctly, as a kind of a town centre window jointly for the Lôn Parcwr businesses of Lewis, Uptown plus Nelson's home furnishings & gifts. This closed almost as quickly as it opened and Nelson’s stock transferred to Lôn Parcwr but, by then, the die was cast (or, the two dice of Lewis's & Nelson's) and the lot closed almost immediately afterwards.
It is with great sadness we record the demise of Lewis Electrics, a firm serving Rhuthun/Ruthin and its hinterland for at least 40 years. It began as Butland's in Castle Street before moving to Well Street as Lewis Electrical and finally, in 1989, to large premises (below) on Lôn Parcwr. With its passing, it marks another milestone in the retail trading environment, as personal habits evolve in a changing world.
I cannot say that I have used Lewis Electrics to the same extent, not latterly, anyway. It grows ever more difficult to resist the lure of out-of-town deals and choice. For my parents' generation, horizons were never very distant. With very few of that generation left, Lewis has lost the bedrock upon which his business was built. The younger you are, the more likely you will embrace the sort of changes we see in retailing; this includes shopping online, of course.
Ah, the internet! Lewis Electrics is blaming online retail as a reason for closure. And they're very right.
"Unfortunately, competition from the supermarkets but more importantly the internet has finally taken its toll"About half a dozen years past, some readers will recall instore notices put up by Lewis Electrics, warning people who would visit the store to browse & ask questions only later to buy online. Paraphrasing, the message was that such people were not welcome. For those who asked for a deal equivalent to that online, well, forget it. The tone of the notice wasn't helpful and it may have put some off. The fact was, however, that the internet was a threat.
Rather than fight it, perhaps the Lewises might have embraced the internet by offering goods online. Or perhaps some sort of click & collect for products not usually stocked, I don't know, to mix choice with customer service. Selling computers and portable phones might have also been a step towards the 21st century. Whatever, Lewis failed to adapt.
The Lewises also blame supermarkets. By them, I assume they also mean out-of-own warehouses (actually not dissimilar to Lewis's current premises) but ones that could offer economies of scale, reduced retail prices and extended opening hours. The aggregate population required to support such stores simply isn't in Rhuthun and while this actually means we have a goodly number of independent stores & retailers there is a tipping point at which some businesses cannot compete. Lewis has felt that such a point has arrived.
Again, Lewis found himself in some hot water. Not long after Rhuthun's Tesco, Lewis Electrics decided to stop selling light bulbs, kettles and small consumer appliances, citing competition from Tesco itself. It seemed somewhat incongruous that you could no longer go to an electrician to buy bulbs and batteries. Lewis's irrational decision did result in some disquiet. Who knows whether it actually damaged trade, though. Fortunately, Ruthin Décor had no such qualms and took up the mantle in supplying small items. Indeed, Ruthin Décor actually purchased Lewis's entire stock of bulbs.
So, where does this leave Rhuthun? Bulbs & batteries are available at Ruthin Décor, Tesco and the Co-op. Tesco sells a limited range of small electrical appliances. Occasionally, the Co-op will have something in as a special offer. The nearest electrical store is the longstanding E Jones of Dinbych. Michel Davies trades in Yr Wyddgrug/Mold, where you can find all sorts of parts and smaller items. Plus, there's a larger Tesco there, offering more electrical products than in Rhuthun. Otherwise, it's the Rhuddlan retail park near Rhyl or Wrexham or Broughton or Chester… or the internet.
So, larger stores and the internet are the two reasons behind the Lewises's decision to close. Let's also not forgot that although not quite there Peter and Jane (née Astles) are also approaching retirement.
Yet, as electrical products at Lewis join new cars at Slaters as history, you can't help wondering that this is a backward step.
When Lewis opened his Lôn Parcwr warehouse, for a number of years, he retained his Well Street shop. Well Street specialised in small appliances like lamps, kettles & toasters, whereas Lôn Parcwr greatly expanded white goods (e.g. freezers, cookers) and televisions. Well Street still had an old-fashioned counter at the back of the shop, behind which Hilda Lewis would preside. Lôn Parcwr had a separate office where staff would retreat. This gave a somewhat unfriendly feel. Lewis latterly rented part of its premises to Uptown Furnishings. Uptown established itself in 2008 and moved to Lewis's in November 2011. They continue at the premises.
Meanwhile, when Lewis closed Well Street, the premises remained empty for a number of years, before Nelson's. This was the idea of Peter & Jane Lewis's daughter, Victoria. Nelson was the name of her grandfather and it featured interior household gifts and a café at the rear, mainly patronised, it would seem, by young mothers like Victoria herself.
After Nelson's and a replacement café both folded, Lewis Electrics briefly reprised their Well Street premises in 2013 or, more correctly, as a kind of a town centre window jointly for the Lôn Parcwr businesses of Lewis, Uptown plus Nelson's home furnishings & gifts. This closed almost as quickly as it opened and Nelson’s stock transferred to Lôn Parcwr but, by then, the die was cast (or, the two dice of Lewis's & Nelson's) and the lot closed almost immediately afterwards.