Northampton 50s fashion shop Bohemian Finds announces closure in face of 'breakdown in communication' with management

A Northampton vintage-style dress shop says it will stay "proud of the community it's built" after announcing it will close next month.

After eight years, 40s-and-50s fashion store Bohemian Finds, based in Market Walk, has announced it will shut down in April.

Owner Gretchen Larkin says she is "heartbroken" at coming to the decision.

She told the Chronicle & Echo: "I feel really proud of the community we've built and the friends we've made. Our customers have been so loyal and supportive. But we need footfall, which we won't find in Market Walk, and can't survive on fresh air.

"This store is my baby. I love what we do and what we do in the community. For me, that's what it's all been about.

"We are not disappearing totally and in the next few weeks will announce our next steps."

But in an announcement on the shop's Facebook page claimed it's come as a result of "a complete breakdown of communication" with the Market Walk's management and owners.

Market Walk was bought in 2018 by new owners Errol and Larry Lipman - but despite early promises of "reinvigorating" the Walk, Gretchen says the new owners have "ignored" her frequent attempts to reach them.

In fact, Gretchen says the lack of communication at all means she only heard about two major announcements for the Market Walk - that it was up for sale and a new plan had been submitted to turn it into student flats - when it was published in the Chron.

She said: "I'm very disappointed in the complete lack of communication in the Lipmans and management.

"We're not closing because we want to but because we feel we're being forced out. We feel like we're just being ignored until we go away.

"We asked them repeatedly that we were willing to renegotiate our contract but they made no contact. We just can't stay here."

The manager of Market Walk declined to comment when approached by the Chron.