12/04/2026
Sad news to share. The shop is closing. This is for a number of reasons. We will explain why as best we can, but first need to explain that we’ve made this very difficult decision with our heads and not our heart. It’s tough running a shop right now.
As you know we love serving and helping our own local community. We offer window space and raffle prizes for community events, free advice, free delivery and a personal service to all. But we also need to make a living. We are too young to retire.
Reasons why we are closing the shop:
1. Business rates - we got 14 days notice we are now paying business rates due to the shops new rateable value
2. Less customers - less footfall. Less people are shopping locally down this end of Woodseats. One day in Feb we had 8 customers all day.
3. Existing customers are spending less - our loyal customers are spending less when they do call in, or don’t come in as often
4. working really long hours - although the shop is only open 10-4 there are many hours you don’t see. Going to the wholesalers first thing, urgent customer bike repairs, deliveries, collecting and dropping off stock, finances.
5. Rising utility bills - electric, water, insurance, all rising. Commercial customers have higher rates and get no help. Card machine charges and then the internet bill on top just so we can have a card machine.
6. Cost of stock - rising prices of everything we are buying to sell, often sudden increases. We daren’t put prices up too much too often as then our regulars won’t come back. Our wholesale Suppliers selling less ranges as their businesses struggle, like pet food.
7. Online and big store competition. The market has changed and is still changing. Retail parks and big national stores with big stock lines opening locally haven’t helped us.
8. A chance to get out of our rental agreement
9. Both our adult children not able to take on the family business, and earn more working on minimum wage elsewhere
All these are our reasons why. All coming together at the same time to create this horrible situation for us. We can feel it and know other shop owners will be suffering too.
We will be having a closing down sale whilst we close the shop down and value your custom during our sale. Please come down and grab a bargain and give us your final support.
And most importantly please support your other local independent hardware shops, they need you! Unit 1 at Woodseats, Ludlows at Norton Lees and Keycare at Greenhill.
We don’t know what we will do next. But the Greenwoods will still be part of the Woodseats community. We still live here, we shop and drink down here. If you see us out and about please say stop and say hi, we would appreciate it right now.
Nic and Ange
