Horsham children’s shoe shop Raspberry Laces closes

In a statement on its website the owners blamed rising overheards and current economic conditions for closing after three years of trading.

It thanked loyal customers and strong local support.

However it blamed Horsham District Council for putting up rates and increasing parking charges in Piries Place car park.

The statement read: “We have reluctantly decided that due to the ever increasing overheads and current economic position, and whilst having supported the business over the last three years in an attempt to establish Raspberry Laces, we have sadly decided to cease trading. Despite some very loyal customers and our reputation growing our local support sadly was not enough to remain viable.

“Raspberry Laces we hoped would prosper on the basis of our choice, service and a specialist alternative for qualified children’s shoe fitting, sadly the reality has been we are more often a fill in or backstop solution and to trade throughout the year we required more browsers to visit us in Piries Place (when we opened we didn’t realise we were perceived to be almost ‘out of town’ by some parents) as well as try the independent first.

“We would like to thank all our customers whom we have enjoyed looking after and in many instances seeing your children grow as well as their feet. However, the harsh reality is, in order to survive, businesses like ours require more local support to be viable.”

It added: “So it is with sadness, but we couldn’t see the situation changing in the next 12 months.

“Thank you again for your custom over the last three years and we are sorry we couldn’t continue.”

For more on the changing face of Horsham town centre see a special feature in this Thursday’s County Times.