Fancy dress firm shuts up shop (From Daily Echo)
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Fancy dress firm shuts up shop
11:01am Wednesday 22nd February 2012 in Hampshire Business
The Just For Fun store in Queen's Way, Southampton.
FOR decades it had ensured partygoers had just the right outfit for any occasion.
But now the party looks to be over for a popular fancy dress firm as bosses have begun closing down the Just for Fun chain of shops in Hampshire.
Directors have begun to move the company into liquidation with the loss of around 40 jobs.
Two stores in Queen’s Way, Southampton and Upper Brook Street, Winchester have already closed. Staff at a third at Hedge End Trade Park said it would be closing within weeks after it staged a closing down sale.
The firm has also stopped taking any more orders for costume hire or purchase on its website.
The family run and owned firm, which was established 38 years ago, had grown into a thriving business with the three branches and an increasingly popular worldwide mail order department run from a Hedge End despatch centre. It offered nearly 10,000 individual items to buy online.
The company offered a one-stop shop for all manner of fancy dress costumes and accessories and even sold a range of outfits for dogs.
But company directors and founders, brothers Geoff and Peter Richards, said the “dire economic climate” was to blame for the closure and having taken advice had decided to move the company into voluntary trading.
A spokesman said: “After 38 years of successful trading, both Geoff and Peter would like to thank all of their loyal staff and customers over the years. They are, unfortunately another victim of the dire economic climate.”
The finances of the firm will be laid bare to creditors at a meeting on March 7 when they will be asked to agree to put the company into voluntary liquidation.
The brothers have appointed London based Accura Accountants Business Recovery Turnaround
Comments(29)
bazzeroz
says...
11:12am Wed 22 Feb 12
Ellwood
says...
11:21am Wed 22 Feb 12
housewife
says...
11:27am Wed 22 Feb 12
Especially as they cannot find a way to keep the name going as an online business with a smaller physical outlet (as Hawkin are now doing)
Where am I going to get practical jokes from now?
housewife
says...
11:28am Wed 22 Feb 12
Especially as they cannot find a way to keep the name going as an online business with a smaller physical outlet (as Hawkin are now doing)
Where am I going to get practical jokes from now?
Shoong
says...
11:33am Wed 22 Feb 12
A shame though, obviously.
Big Mac
says...
11:39am Wed 22 Feb 12
Higginz
says...
12:05pm Wed 22 Feb 12
There used to be a tropical fish shop next door. Irrelevant I realise.
sarfhamton
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12:20pm Wed 22 Feb 12
dango
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12:40pm Wed 22 Feb 12
freemantlegirl2
says...
1:49pm Wed 22 Feb 12
sarfhamton wrote:Actually they also had an online shop too! their prices were quite competitive with other companies.
You can get all of this stuff on line and it is often cheaper to buy an outfit than hire one. But it a real shame for all the staff and the owners.
i concur with the other posts though, very sad to see their demise :( we actually used the shop a lot not just once a year!
garlic
says...
2:16pm Wed 22 Feb 12
Shame to see a fairly big local employer go.
eurogordi
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3:09pm Wed 22 Feb 12
PrincessPea
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3:38pm Wed 22 Feb 12
Just one side of the story as usual, clearly no real investigation work has gone on for this story.
Stillness
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3:49pm Wed 22 Feb 12
Stillness
says...
3:50pm Wed 22 Feb 12
St Retford
says...
4:39pm Wed 22 Feb 12
PrincessPea wrote:Quite right. It's because Fathers 4 Justice can no longer be bothered to chain themselves to lamposts while dressed as Batman. Shame on you, absent fathers.
It has nothing to do with the 'dire economic climate'. The shop is situated in a city with two large universities full of students who regularly have fancy dress parties and nights out, lots of local businesses that use the shop on a weekly basis and a large loyal customer base who again visit the shop regularly. Just one side of the story as usual, clearly no real investigation work has gone on for this story.
freemantlegirl2
says...
4:50pm Wed 22 Feb 12
PrincessPea wrote:And why do you know different Princess Pea, or is this just an 'opinion'???
It has nothing to do with the 'dire economic climate'. The shop is situated in a city with two large universities full of students who regularly have fancy dress parties and nights out, lots of local businesses that use the shop on a weekly basis and a large loyal customer base who again visit the shop regularly.
Just one side of the story as usual, clearly no real investigation work has gone on for this story.
In case you hadn't noticed, university numbers have decreased, we're in a recession, and many businesses (including ones that supply and use this business) have closed. This is what happens in a recession, one business goes bust, doesn't pay their bills which has a knock on effect on eithers.
if you know different, please care to explain???
PrincessPea
says...
4:52pm Wed 22 Feb 12
freemantlegirl2 wrote:I know different because I worked there.
PrincessPea wrote:And why do you know different Princess Pea, or is this just an 'opinion'???
It has nothing to do with the 'dire economic climate'. The shop is situated in a city with two large universities full of students who regularly have fancy dress parties and nights out, lots of local businesses that use the shop on a weekly basis and a large loyal customer base who again visit the shop regularly.
Just one side of the story as usual, clearly no real investigation work has gone on for this story.
In case you hadn't noticed, university numbers have decreased, we're in a recession, and many businesses (including ones that supply and use this business) have closed. This is what happens in a recession, one business goes bust, doesn't pay their bills which has a knock on effect on eithers.
if you know different, please care to explain???
SaintM
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5:18pm Wed 22 Feb 12
loosehead
says...
9:26pm Wed 22 Feb 12
many people now chuck together a costume rather than higher one as if it gets damaged you have to cover repairs or a new costume ( I hope that's correct) but if the above post is correct maybe an insider can spill the beans?
andysaints007
says...
9:55pm Wed 22 Feb 12
Shoong wrote:They seem to rent em every week up north - maybe they just in the wrong place now !
I've always kind of wondered how they've kept going, let's face it how many times a year do you need to rent a fancy dress costume?
A shame though, obviously.
freemantlegirl2
says...
9:50am Thu 23 Feb 12
PrincessPea wrote:thats a statement though not an explanation.....
freemantlegirl2 wrote:I know different because I worked there.
PrincessPea wrote:And why do you know different Princess Pea, or is this just an 'opinion'???
It has nothing to do with the 'dire economic climate'. The shop is situated in a city with two large universities full of students who regularly have fancy dress parties and nights out, lots of local businesses that use the shop on a weekly basis and a large loyal customer base who again visit the shop regularly.
Just one side of the story as usual, clearly no real investigation work has gone on for this story.
In case you hadn't noticed, university numbers have decreased, we're in a recession, and many businesses (including ones that supply and use this business) have closed. This is what happens in a recession, one business goes bust, doesn't pay their bills which has a knock on effect on eithers.
if you know different, please care to explain???
V. sorry you've lost your job but it still doesn't contradict the statement released by the owners, who one would assume have an overview of the whole business.....
tw2003
says...
8:33pm Thu 23 Feb 12
PrincessPea wrote:Like someone else said, we are sorry you lost your job, but don't you think you should have a little respect to your bosses and accept that they don't want to reveal all the in's and out's so whatever they state to media is it. The last thing they want is gossip. Put yourself in their shoes, would you want to see gossip?? No
freemantlegirl2 wrote:I know different because I worked there.PrincessPea wrote: It has nothing to do with the 'dire economic climate'. The shop is situated in a city with two large universities full of students who regularly have fancy dress parties and nights out, lots of local businesses that use the shop on a weekly basis and a large loyal customer base who again visit the shop regularly. Just one side of the story as usual, clearly no real investigation work has gone on for this story.And why do you know different Princess Pea, or is this just an 'opinion'??? In case you hadn't noticed, university numbers have decreased, we're in a recession, and many businesses (including ones that supply and use this business) have closed. This is what happens in a recession, one business goes bust, doesn't pay their bills which has a knock on effect on eithers. if you know different, please care to explain???
Matt Probert
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2:14pm Fri 24 Feb 12
loosehead
says...
4:05pm Fri 24 Feb 12
tw2003 wrote:But surely we would rather know the truth & not as the former employee states/ insinuates a down right lie wouldn't we?
PrincessPea wrote:Like someone else said, we are sorry you lost your job, but don't you think you should have a little respect to your bosses and accept that they don't want to reveal all the in's and out's so whatever they state to media is it. The last thing they want is gossip. Put yourself in their shoes, would you want to see gossip?? No
freemantlegirl2 wrote:I know different because I worked there.PrincessPea wrote: It has nothing to do with the 'dire economic climate'. The shop is situated in a city with two large universities full of students who regularly have fancy dress parties and nights out, lots of local businesses that use the shop on a weekly basis and a large loyal customer base who again visit the shop regularly. Just one side of the story as usual, clearly no real investigation work has gone on for this story.And why do you know different Princess Pea, or is this just an 'opinion'??? In case you hadn't noticed, university numbers have decreased, we're in a recession, and many businesses (including ones that supply and use this business) have closed. This is what happens in a recession, one business goes bust, doesn't pay their bills which has a knock on effect on eithers. if you know different, please care to explain???
tw2003
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5:08pm Fri 24 Feb 12
jojotgirl
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8:36pm Fri 24 Feb 12
.soon enough you stop bothering to even check. It's a shame they are closing but maybe having to increase prices to meet increased overheads (in the guise of the 3rd shop) was a mistake! Good luck to the owners for the future.
PrincessPea
says...
7:17pm Fri 2 Mar 12
tw2003 wrote:I'm not bitter in the slightest, it wasn't unexpected and I am already in another job. It isn't gossip when it comes from the horses mouth and as business owners they were very open with the on goings of the company.
Just because this person worked there still doesn't mean they know the truth, just more gossip I would bet because they annoyed they lost their job. And I can probably guess which member it is
SotonLad says...
11:07am Wed 22 Feb 12