Clogau Closes

A second Rhuthun/Ruthin business has called it a day. It's Clogau, St Peter's Square, in the former Ethel Austin building.

(And a third is likely to pack up at the end of the month. Details when confirmed.)

Back to Clogau, the shop opened its Rhuthun branch in September 2020, alongside shops in Wrexham and Chester. All three were part of a buy out deal of some former Mococo shops. Mococo's in Rhuthun closed the previous July, so there was a two-month gap. Clogau were rather brave to open in Rhuthun during 2020. We called it 'a bold move'. At the time, we commented, 'We still feel that this is likely to be a short term investment but we hope to be proven wrong.' 

The number of patrons within Clogau has diminished. Even approaching Christmas and it seemed the shop had lost its appeal. Prior, Clogau Rhuthun closed on Mondays, even in December, even when some other Monday-less shops gave Mondays a punt. (e.g. Leonardo's café and the Health Food Shop, plus some hair & beauty shops also usually closed.) At one point, Clogau opened on Sundays. 

We've always wondered about Clogau. They're secretive as to the amount of Welsh gold in their jewellery and at one point they said they were running out of it. And we're not even sure they manufacture in Wales any more. 

The Retail Jeweller trade publication once called Mococo the 'once-powerhouse northwestern independent'. Mococo itself, however, is down to one shop (in Yr Wyddgrug/Mold). The business changed hands in November this year. Mococo started in Rhuthun and once had branches in Rhuthun, Birkenhead, Chester, Liverpool, Yr Wyddgrug, Mold, Warrington and Wrexham.