Contessa Closing
Unbelievably it has been reported that Contessa the sexy lingerie shop is closing down. This shop has been there for years and will leave an empty gap on the corner of Dene Street. It is one of those units that will potentially be left empty for ages - that row of shops are housed in what is probably the least attractive building in Dorking - a relic of the sixties.
Subway may be moving in next door but Contessa, a feature of the town, is moving out.
posted by The Cockerel @ 12:14 AM
5 Comments:
yes, if it is true contessa is going it will be another great loss, especially for that end of the town that is already suffering.
I also fear that this unit will be quite hard to let. It all depends on the rent and if Subway opens next door. This could be a newer version of the kebab shop. All Subway's (which include the ones in Epsom and Leatherhead) open very early in the morning around 7 or 8AM and close around 11PM or midnight. In other kids, teenagers and drunken morons will turn this end of the High Street into a cesspool. With Subway, the kebab shop and KFC all open till midnight, crowds will congregate, fight each other, piss and vomit everywhere and more shops will relocate and get out of Dorking! This end of the High Street is already a haven on Friday and Saturday nights for broken windows, anti-social behaviour and I bet that Mole Valley will allow Subway to open till mdnight or 1AM, 7 days a week!
The lease will soon expire on Contessa and it will be handed back to the landlords. Apparently, Contessa was not making ends meet and had been suffering for a while (ie. sales were well BELOW expectations!) A lot of the shops in Dorking are suffering with poor sales. That is the reason why The Linen Shoppe is also closing soon. The unrealistic rents don't help either. Also high utility bills, council tax, petrol prices and Labour's stealth taxes are also forcing people to refrain from shopping locally and focus on making ends meet!
Noticed that Contessa's is on the market with Martin Brown. It would be really nice to see an independent shop taking over the lease of this shop. Also, I have noticed The Vineyard (the independent wine merchants) on South Street is also on the market. Have heard that The Vineyard is relocating a few doors down on South Street to where Ziboh Interiors are at present. Ziboh Interiors are going to move into the Halfords unit on the High Street whilst Halfords will move into the former WHSmith unit. Wow...it is all change in Dorking!
The Vineyard has been wanting to move for a long time to a larger unit. They have been an incredibly successful and it nice to know that they will be staying put in Dorking. It also goes to show that it is not all 'doom and gloom' in Dorking even, if you are an independent, taking on the might of Threshers etc.
Last day for Contessa today. They were clearing the place out this evening --- Monday 18th September. According to Martin Brown's, this place is still on the market. Contessa had been in Dorking for almost twenty years. Amazing how times change. Clarks is now undergoing a refurb and will open again in three weeks with a new layout, better lighting etc.
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