Much-loved London shop closes its doors after 95 years

An independent London shop which has lasted almost 100 years has finally had to close their doors in the latest blow to the high street.

City Radio Stores on Bond Street, Ealing, has shut leaving customers ‘distraught’ claiming it was ‘the best electrical shop in the world’.

The store first opened in 1929 and has been a staple of the high street in Ealing which has come to be dominated by chain retail companies.

Owner Peter Burford said he is now ready to retire after running the store for 31 years.

He told Ealing Today: ‘I was 38 when I came into the shop – I was working in wholesale and this was my first job.’

Despite the store’s loyal customers, there is no word on any buyers willing to take over the business.

Customers have told Peter they will be ‘in the dark without the shop’ as the shop had such excellent electrical knowledge.

Ealing Civic Society Chairman, Robert Gurd, says: ‘We are sorry to hear that City Radio Stores is due to close.

‘The unique art deco shopfront is a rare survivor and we hope that any new owner will sympathetically restore it.’

The once-thriving British high streets have been struggling with the dawn of online shopping, rising costs and the coronavirus pandemic.

In September, it was revealed 6,945 shops closed in the first six months of 2024, amounting to an astounding 38 shops per day across the UK.

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