Costume hire and party store Giant Party Shop in Chippenham (UK) has closed its doors for good as the latest independent party retailer to decide to call it a day in the face of a difficult trading period.
Online sales have dented the store’s success and after undertaking some local research, owners Karl Potts and Joanna McKinlay have decided to open a hair salon on the premises instead.
“We ran the Giant Party Shop for 17 years in Chippenham – eleven years in The Bridge and six years in our current location,” said Karl. “It has been really fun running the store. People came in because they were planning a party, so it all had a happy feeling.”
An announcement on Giant Party Shop’s Facebook page read:
“After over 17 years in Chippenham we have decided to close the store, it’s a mixture of a downturn in the fancy dress industry and finding it very difficult competing with the likes of Amazon and eBay. We would like to thank everyone for supporting us over the years.”
The pair also run the Giant Party Shop in Swindon, which will be staying open.