Boston clothes shop thanks customers as 170 years of trading comes to an end

A long-running Lincolnshire retailer is preparing to shut one of its best-known stores, marking the end of an era on Boston's high street. Coneys of Boston, based on Wide Bargate, has thanked customers for their loyalty as the branch closes after 170 years of trading in the town. In a message shared on social media, staff offered what they described as a heartfelt thank you to the many people who have supported the business over the years. The closure is being blamed on "market conditions", according to the store.

An exact closing date has not yet been confirmed, with that expected to depend on how much stock remains in the shop. For Boston, the news will feel especially significant. Coneys has been part of the town's retail story for generations, beginning life in Strait Bargate before moving in 1956 to a single shop on its current site. Over time, the business expanded into neighbouring properties and became a familiar part of the town centre for local shoppers.

Its departure adds to a growing sense of change in Boston, where several established names have either left or are preparing to leave. Among them are Oldrids, which had traded in the town since 1804, HMV, and Santander's Boston branch, which is due to close in April. That wider pattern will be familiar to many communities across Lincolnshire. Town centres continue to face pressure from changing shopping habits, rising costs and the broader squeeze on household spending.

While each closure has its own story, together they point to the challenge of maintaining busy, varied high streets in market towns that have long relied on regular footfall and loyal local trade. Boston Borough Council leader Dale Broughton said he was sorry to see a valued business close, particularly one with such a strong place in the heart of the town centre and in the borough's history. He said the closure reflected the difficult retail environment being felt across the country, including shifts in shopping trends and the impact of the cost of living on both businesses and customers. He added that the council was working to support employees and businesses while also trying to revitalise the town centre.

Although the Boston branch is closing, the company still has stores in Lincoln and Spalding, meaning the Coneys name will remain present elsewhere in Lincolnshire. Even so, for shoppers in Boston, this is more than the loss of another unit on the high street. It is the end of a business that has traded through changing fashions, different generations and decades of town centre life. For many residents, it will be remembered not simply as a shop, but as a familiar part of Boston itself.

This story was adapted by The Lincoln Post from original reporting by www.bbc.com.