Milsom Street: Danish firm Joe and The Juice is planning on opening a second store in the city in Milsom Street next to Jolly’s.
The cafe come take away which specialises in vegetable and fruit based smoothies but also sells teas and coffees and sandwiches and other snacks has a unit in Stall Street.
An application has been put in for making changes to the Grade I store which was once a fashion outlet for Kaliko.
With the opening of Southgate at the bottom of the town it appeared to some shoppers the main retail area of Bath had literally moved south but with the reopening of Jolly’s later this year Milsom Street appears to be on the up.
Brewdog closes: The self-styled punk disrupter of the brewing industry Brewdog has been sold to US firm Tilray for £33m after it went into administration. Only 11 of its bars have been saved in the deal while 38 others were closed and 484 staff have been made redundant. Bath’s bar is one of those shut with the staff made redundant.
Founder James Watt claimed he was ‘heartbroken’ but those who invested in the firm’s Equity for Punks scheme which raised £75m will not receive a penny and will no doubt be rather more ‘heartbroken.’ And the staff are also ‘heartbroken’ and will be forced to find new jobs with their wages gone unlike Mr Watt who walks away with millions in his pocket.
Unite the trade union who represents the staff said the workers were given just 25 minutes notice of the sale and their sacking.
NCP goes bust: Many have asked how can a car park firm like NCP collapse into adminstration since they charge so much for a short stay – and it can be difficult to find a place to park?
The answer like so many business failures lies in historic debt and rising costs. Japan’s Park24 are the parent firm while adminstrators working with PwC are looking to find a buyer. They have listed a string of reasons for the problems from Covid 19 shutdowns, a fall in footfall in the high street and hikes in interest rates and expensive leases – plus of course more than £300 million in debts.
Bath’s NCP in Cheltenham Street will remain open as usual while the adminstrators look to find a solution but with a looming economic crisis due to the Iran war that could be difficult.
Fashion store: ME+EM plans to open a store on Milsom Street in the unit where the Ted Baker shop was located. The fashion retailer has applied to the council to make some changes to the building at number 46 which is Grade II Listed.
It first has to get permission from planners to make some changes to the Edwardian building with an opening date yet to be announced.
Safe Bus sponsorship: The Bath Safe Bus is delighted to announce that the University of Bath has renewed its £10,000 sponsorship for another year, reinforcing its commitment to student wellbeing and night‑time safety across the city.
Operating every Friday and Saturday from 10pm to 4am, the Bath Safe Bus has become a trusted presence in the city centre, used by students for all types of services. Staffed by medical professionals, security and volunteers, the team provides everything from phone chargers to first aid, emotional support, flip-flops and sexual health products.
Jolly’s Update: The department store in Milsom Street is set to reopen this year in time for Christmas – and it had been hoped to partially reopen part of the shop this spring.
That has been put back to the autumn as refitting and updating the building continues.
Morleys issued a statement: “Morleys Stores and Bath & North East Somerset Council today announce that Jolly’s Bath, the beloved and iconic department store in the heart of the city, will open this autumn.”
A fixture in the retail sector since 1823 the building is owned by the council who have contracted Bray & Slaughter for the works.
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