Paul Lamb, 62, the founder and owner of the store, is very sad to announce the closure of his last shop which has been situated in the Great Western Arcade for the past 25 years.
He said: “It’s pointless trying to do what we’ve been doing, we just can’t hang on any longer.”
Over the last two decades, the brand has boasted stores throughout the city centre including an accessory shop in New Street Station and a shoe shop on Stephenson Street prior to the opening of the one in the arcade.
Mr Lamb explained the decline in his business began back in 2003 with the opening of the new Bull Ring and criticized the management of the high street.
He said: “We’ve had 15 years of nobody doing anything about what’s happening on the high street, just watching it and hoping it will get better.”
Having outlived all of the previous independent shoe retailers in the city, Sims Footwear is now forced to follow suit after the continuation of declining footfall and increasing business rates.
Mr Lamb’s wife, Kathy, 60, who also works in the shop said that she is “extremely apprehensive” about the business’ closure.
She said: “I’m worried about how we will make ends meet, but in saying that, it has been so stressful and worrying with the business over the years, so I’m pleased that now a decision has been made and that we can move forward.”
Owning a shop comes with the burdens of business rates which makes it impossible to compete with the popularity of online shopping.
Sims Footwear will continue to trade online after the shop’s closure,* however Mr Lamb confesses that it’s not where he saw his business going and return rates online are very high due to the nature of needing trying shoes on to make sure they fit properly.*
He said: “We’ll give it our best shot but we’re a small fish in a big sea.”
Emily Lamb (University of Sheffield student)