Closing down sale underway at popular Hucknall hardware store

Hucknall Home Improvement Centre is closing down after 35 years after owners Mike and Kathryn Coultas decided to retire after Mike was sadly diagnosed with cancer during the first lockdown last year.

Mike and Kathryn announced they were closing down last month but as they have not sold the business, just the building it was based in, they did did not want to begin selling off stock until the paperwork for the building sale was in place.

Mike said: “We’ve got banners across the window now announcing we’re having a closing down sale as we’ve now sold the building and we’re retiring to Yorkshire.

"We’ve held off starting the closing down sale until now as I wanted to be absolutely sure the sale of the building was in place subject to contract and I didn’t end up with egg on my face.

"It’s one thing putting details of a sale up on your shop window but it’s another thing telling the wider world.”

Mike admits it is a shame to be finishing now with business as good as it has ever been.

Even though much of the country has spent much of the last year in lockdown, the store continued to stay open – after initially closing for a month last April – and has been thriving ever since.

Mike continued: "It’s only because of my diagnosis that I’m now retiring and it seems such a shame in a way to have to to retire when business is as good as it is.

"We haven’t got a final closing date yet, we’re going to be here for as long as it takes to sell off the remaining stock at 25 per cent off.

"The scale of the interest we’ve already had so far suggests it shouldn’t take too long.

"Even putting the notices on the window appears to have done the trick locally but we’re always happy to welcome the wider world in as well to take the last bits of stock away before we close the shop and start enjoying our retirements.”