Five beloved shops in Black Country and Staffordshire customers said farewell to in 2024
Shoppers in the Black Country and Staffordshire waved goodbye to a number of shops which closed in 2024.
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Many beloved establishments that have been staples in the region for decades sadly shut their doors last year.
Whether as a result of rising costs or simply to enjoy retirement, there are various reasons why owners have decided to shut up shop.
As the New Year begins, we have decided to take a look back on the stores which sadly left our high streets in 2024.
Dancers
Family-run clothing store Dancers, on Peckingham Street, Halesowen, closed on December 11.
On their final day of trading, staff bid an emotional farewell to customers after 144 years of business.
The site is however not expected to stay empty for long, with a new school-uniform shop set to open there this month.
In October, assistant manager Dave Dancer told the Express & Star he had hoped to take over the reins from his father Mike Dancer and aunt Janet Duerden - but tough retail conditions meant this would not be possible.
The business passed through five generations of the Dancer family after it was founded as John Dancer's shoe and bootmaker in 1880, part of a row of shops in Lye High Street owned by the Dancer family.
Four years later, John and his wife Sarah moved to a lock-up shop in High Street, Halesowen, and went on to purchase a plot of land on the corner of Peckingham Street and Hagley Road, Halesowen, where they built a three-storey shop.
Branches in Ludlow, Kidderminster, Cradley Heath, Bromsgrove and Tenbury Wells then followed.
