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A HIGH street homeware store is set to close after an “amazing” decade.
Shoppers cry: “There’s a lot of shops leaving Newport! Just why?”
CoCo 64 is a homeware shop in Newport, Shropshire.
It’ll be closing its doors for good in “the next couple of months.”
CoCo 64 has been trading furniture, home accessories, and gifts for the past decade.
Kim Day, the owner of the store, posted the sad news to Facebook.
She said: “It’s been an amazing 10 + years in our wonderful town of Newport, but it’s time for my next chapter.
“CoCo 64. will be closing its doors in the next couple of months & I truly want to say a massive ‘Thank you’ to so many People.
“The support, friendships & laughs have been truly unforgettable & I will fondly hold so many special memories.
“May I say a special thank you to all of my loyal amazing customers, staff past & present, Davis White & Perry & my girlies for everything you have done to make CoCo’s such a warm welcoming place to shop.
“With love, Kim.”
Unhappy shoppers have taken to the comment section.
“One person said: “This is very sad news…there’s a lot of shops leaving Newport! Just why?!”
Followed by a second: “The shop was so lovely, I always nipped in when I was in Newport.
“It will be a huge loss to the town. Sad to see it go, wishing you all the very best.”
Then a third said: “Not you as well!! Daisy chain now you! My two favourite shops !!
“I’ll have to stock up on my reed diffuser.”
Meanwhile a fourth said: “Oh no. More sad news. All the best. P.s Best window displays and don’t forget that.”
Then a fifth said: “Aw sad news for Newport Kim.
“We will miss you so much. I had a great time being part of your team, happy memories.”
This loss comes after the closure of clothing store Daisy Chain, also on Newport High Street.
Sally’s Flowers, on Upper Bar announced it would serve its customers last on May 20, revealing rising costs as reason for its downfall.
And just last week Smallwood Lodge tea Room closed in the area.
It was located in a historic Grade II listed building.
The cafe served its customers for the final time on Saturday, March 1.
RETAILERS have been feeling the squeeze since the pandemic, while shoppers are cutting back on spending due to the soaring cost of living crisis.
High energy costs and a move to shopping online after the pandemic are also taking a toll, and many high street shops have struggled to keep going.
However, additional costs have added further pain to an already struggling sector.
The British Retail Consortium has predicted that the Treasury’s hike to employer NICs from April will cost the retail sector £2.3billion.
At the same time, the minimum wage will rise to £12.21 an hour from April, and the minimum wage for people aged 18-20 will rise to £10 an hour, an increase of £1.40.
The Centre for Retail Research (CRR) has also warned that around 17,350 retail sites are expected to shut down this year.
It comes on the back of a tough 2024 when 13,000 shops closed their doors for good, already a 28% increase on the previous year.
Professor Joshua Bamfield, director of the CRR said: “The results for 2024 show that although the outcomes for store closures overall were not as poor as in either 2020 or 2022, they are still disconcerting, with worse set to come in 2025.”
It comes after almost 170,000 retail workers lost their jobs in 2024.
End-of-year figures compiled by the Centre for Retail Research showed the number of job losses spiked amid the collapse of major chains such as Homebase and Ted Baker.
It said its latest analysis showed that a total of 169,395 retail jobs were lost in the 2024 calendar year to date.
This was up 49,990 – an increase of 41.9% – compared with 2023.
It is the highest annual reading since more than 200,000 jobs were lost in 2020 in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced retailers to shut their stores during lockdowns.
The centre said 38 major retailers went into administration in 2024, including household names such as Lloyds Pharmacy, Homebase, The Body Shop, Carpetright and Ted Baker.
Around a third of all retail job losses in 2024, 33% or 55,914 in total, resulted from administrations.
Experts have said small high street shops could face a particularly challenging 2025 because of Budget tax and wage changes.
Professor Bamfield has warned of a bleak outlook for 2025, predicting that as many as 202,000 jobs could be lost in the sector.
“By increasing both the costs of running stores and the costs on each consumer’s household it is highly likely that we will see retail job losses eclipse the height of the pandemic in 2020.”
PHIL TAYLOR has backed Luke Littler to hit an unprecedented feat, if he is prepared to make some major sacrifices.
The Power is the undisputed GOAT of darts, with 16 world titles to his name.
However, Taylor believes the current reigning world champion, 18-year-old Littler, will be the first star to win a staggering £1million prize pot at the world darts championship and score an average of 120 in a major final.
The current winner at Alexandra Palace bags £500,000 for becoming the world champion, but with the sports explosion in popularity in the last couple of years it stands to reason that figure will go even higher.
Littler already has five major titles to his name, adding the UK Open to his growing list of accolades after demolishing James Wade 11-2 in the final.
Taylor, speaking as a standard-bearer for net-zero and energy efficiency, revealed he called the Nuke following the win and commented about how humble the teen comes across.
However, he warned that to become a true great of the sport Littler will need to make sacrifices, including steering clear of booze and fast cars.
The 65-year-old told the Mirror: “I called in to see Luke the other day and, apart from all his trophies, you would never know he was a darts player.
“He is so down to earth, such a nice kid, that if he remembers to live a boring life for the next 20 years – steer clear of nightclubs, booze, fast cars and all the normal vices for an 18-year-old – the sky’s the limit for him.
“If he is prepared to make those sacrifices and live like a monk, he could break all sorts of records.
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“He’s still a teenager but he’s already won five major titles.
“The day is coming when the champion will pick up £1m for winning the world title at Alexandra Palace, and it wouldn’t surprise me if we see him averaging 120 in a major final. He really is that good.”
Taylor also revealed who he reckons will win the Premier League over the course of the coming weeks.
He added: “At the moment, I can only see one of the Lukes – Littler or [Luke] Humphries – winning the Premier League because over 16 weeks, the cream rises to the top and they are the best players.
“Watching the professionals now, the only time you beat the Lukes is by playing out of your skin and hope that they miss a few doubles.”
Taylor believes Littler could suffer a similar fate to Manchester United, whereby a fear factor gives them a huge edge in performances.
Taylor said: “What I like about Littler is that the kid is fearless. He doesn’t care who he’s playing, he’ll take you on.
“And until that fear factor goes, the others will struggle to live with him.
Night 1 – Belfast: Humphries beat Dobey 6-1
Night 2 – Glasgow: Littler beat Humphries 6-5
Night 3 – Dublin: Price beat Aspinall 6-3
Night 4 – Exeter: Humphries beat Littler 6-4
Night 5 – The Brighton Centre – Thursday March 6
Night 6 – Motorpoint Arena, Nottingham – Thursday March 13
Night 7 – Utilita Arena, Cardiff – Thursday March 20
Night 8 – Utilita Arena, Newcastle – Thursday March 27
Night 9 – Uber Arena, Berlin – Thursday April 3
Night 10 – AO Arena, Manchester – Thursday April 10
Night 11 – Rotterdam Ahoy, Rotterdam – Thursday April 17
Night 12 – M&S Bank Arena, Liverpool – Thursday April 24
Night 13 – Utilita Arena, Birmingham, Thursday May 1
Night 14 – First Direct Arena, Leeds – Thursday May 8
Night 15 – P&J Live, Aberdeen – Thursday May 15
Night 16 – Utilita Arena, Sheffield – Thursday May 22
Play-Offs – The O2, London – Thursday May 29
“Look at Manchester United – visiting teams used to be beaten before they set foot in Old Trafford, but now they are not scared of United any more.
“I think the biggest threat to Luke will be the next generation, the youngsters coming through who have been inspired by him.
“The old brigade will have to look after their money, bank it, pay their taxes and take every opportunity that comes along – because it’s only going to get tougher.”
Taylor took a break from being a darts legend to lobby parliament from the House of Commons terrace with Derby-based Blind Screen co-founders Lenny Reynolds and Paul Cheetham to promote heat-saving thermal window blinds.
Scientists believe they can reduce household fuel bills by up to 15 per cent, with Taylor joking: “After all these years of trying to turn up the ‘Power’ on the oche, now I’m trying to get the country to turn the power down.
“Never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d find myself at the Houses of Parliament, rubbing shoulders with MPs and asking them for help with bringing down the cost of heating our homes.
“I was a bit cross when the winter fuel allowance was scrapped.
“I can get by without it, but I know people back home in Stoke who have struggled to keep warm this winter.”
Here is all the prize money Luke Littler has won so far after being crowned 2025 PDC World Darts Championship winner:
World Championship 2025 – £500,000
World Championship 2024 – £200,000
Grand Slam of Darts 2024 – £150,000
European Tour – £91,000
Player Championships events – £71,500
Players Championship final runner-up – £60,000
UK Open 2023 + 2024 – £17,500
World Matchplay – £10,000
World Grand Prix – £7,500
European Championship – £7,500
(Unranked) Premier League Darts – £315,000
TOTAL: £1.43 million
