Stafford chocolate shop closes

Stafford has lost another shop – after only two years of trading the owners of Choc-o-lat Heaven have packed up and abandoned their business and are blaming the closure of the post office.

The popular traditional sweet store opened in November 2005 selling fine chocolates and old-fashioned sweets but the owners closed for the last time today with a half-price sale.

Situated directly opposite the exit of the old post office in Chetwynd House, Greengate Street, the shop used to enjoy a great deal of passing trade.

It was initially a huge success and owner Lesley Ridgeway and her business partner Mike Bagguley enjoyed a bumper first year.

They even had planned to expand the business but in October 2007 everything was put on hold.

Mike Bagguley said: "Shoppers in Stafford appreciate independent, specialist stores but we had to look at the longer term picture.

"We saw a very obvious drop in trade in October following the closure of the post office. Then the Christmas trade was down on last year.

"We didn't really have a tremendous amount of choice in the matter. In this end of the town there are maybe six or seven empty properties and customers are simply not walking down here.

"When Beauty Bargains closed down six weeks before Christmas we realised we were not the only ones feeling the pinch after the closure of the post office."

The shop specialised in Belgian hand made chocolates. It also stocked Red Lion Ice Cream and created Valentines gifts with individual messages.

Mr Bagguley said the future for the Greengate Street end of town is uncertain.

"I would love to see a museum in the old post office building," he added.

"It is a beautiful property but even that would not attract the footfall our business needs to survive.

"Instead of getting off the bus in Bridge Street to pop to the post office, many shoppers are now staying on another stop which takes them to the back of the Guildhall, completely cutting out this end of town.

"The other factor which damaged our business is organised events. Anything staged by the council is always focused on Market Square."

Choc-o-lat Heaven is the latest victim in a long line of closures.

In 2007 Three Cooks bakery, Adams children's clothing store and ski shop Force all succumbed to dropping trade and closed for the last time.