3:40pm Monday 4th January 2010
By James Nadal
ONE of Marlow High Street's oldest names is leaving in favour of the Eden shopping centre in High Wycombe.
F. Hinds, which opened in the riverside town in 1946, has announced it will close its store in February.
The jewellers recently opened a shop in Eden and said the larger size of the High Wycombe premises was a major factor in its decision.
Seven of the eight Marlow staff, who were all offered other jobs, will move to nearby F. Hinds stores. One declined the offer.
Marlow mayor Cllr Neil Marshall said: “I think its their loss. Marlow High Street is still healthy, there's no doubt about it and we will get another retailer in there.
"It's disappointing that they feel they can't support both shops, I wouldn't have thought there was any overlap.
“I'm surprised, possibly though it's just the down turn in the market.
"We have lost shops in the past couple of years but we do re-let because the High Street still works as a High Street.”
There are four other jewellers in Marlow town centre.
Marlow Chamber of Trade vice-president Annie Mulady said: “The chamber is always sorry to see a retailer leave the town particularly one as well established as F.Hinds.
“We don't feel that we have been hit by Eden in the same way as High Wycombe traders have because we have the nice mixture of independents as well as chains.
“We only hope that the site being as big as it is on the High Street will get filled quickly.”
Rod Braybrooke, spokesman for The Marlow Community Forum, which represents a range of organisations in the town, said: “It's sad that one of Marlow's names is leaving the town.
"There have been two or three jewellers shops open recently which are quite high class so there's still the pulling power, Marlow has attracted those.
“I honestly don't think Eden has taken trade from Marlow.”
F. Hinds spokesman Pam Fenton said the Eden store “is much larger and consequently has a far bigger choice of diamonds, jewellery, watches and gifts and so better meets the needs of the local area.”
The shutters will close at the Marlow store, which has begun a closing down sale, for the final time on February 15.
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