Iconic grocery shop loved by A-List celebs and royalty shuts flagship store after 53 years
AN ICONIC grocery shop that was loved by A-list celebs has officially shut shop after 53 of service.
Partridges has now closed in Chelsea, London, as the owners give one final thanks to the community for their years of support.
The store is known for its gourmet items and international products, and the many high-profile shoppers who have walked through their doors.
In the closure announcement, it was confirmed that Cadogan, a local property manager, would be taking over the space on Sloane Street by the middle of February.
In addition, Cadgoan is expected to take over the market where Partiregd operated on February 8.
Hugh Seaborn, CEO of Cadogan, said: “Partridges has been a cherished Chelsea institution since first opening on Sloane Street in 1972, and it is long-term partners like Partridge’s that we particularly value and support as they help make Chelsea special.
“I am deeply sorry to see them go.
“However, we will continue both the store in a similar format but under a new name, and the hugely popular weekly market in Duke of York Square.
“We aim to build on the Partridges legacy which has contributed so much to Chelsea and the Duke of York Square and wish them all the best for the future.”
The business is transferring out of Chelsea and into Kensington, on Gloucester Road.
John Shepherd, Managing Director of Partridges, added: “We are of course very sad to be leaving Chelsea and are grateful to Cadogan for allowing us the opportunity to develop our creativity in Duke of York Square, especially in supporting us to create a Fine Food Market in Chelsea.
”We would like to thank all of our loyal Chelsea customers for their support, over more than half a century, and we have often served several generations of the same family.
“We will never forget you and could not have possibly done it all without you.”
In an emotional social media post, Shepherd had previously said: “Although the Chelsea chapter is sadly coming to an end we are looking forward in the future to building Partridges in smaller and more sustainable shop formats across London.
“We are very proud to have recently achieved carbon neutrality for both our Chelsea and Gloucester Road shops.
“We have just received the Royal Warrant from King Charles and have tried to support as many local community initiatives as possible, last year donating over £30,000 to local charities and good causes.”
The London landmark has been a prominent name in Sloane Square for more than half a century, having been acknowledged by affluent shoppers since it first opened.
Partridges sells a range of luxury products, from bird’s nest soup, gulls’ eggs and frozen jugged hare, and catches the interest of a range of VIPs.
Why are retailers closing stores?
RETAILERS have been feeling the squeeze since the pandemic, while shoppers are cutting back on spending due to the soaring cost of living crisis.
High energy costs and a move to shopping online after the pandemic are also taking a toll, and many high street shops have struggled to keep going.
However, additional costs have added further pain to an already struggling sector.
The British Retail Consortium has predicted that the Treasury’s hike to employer NICs from April will cost the retail sector £2.3billion.
At the same time, the minimum wage will rise to £12.21 an hour from April, and the minimum wage for people aged 18-20 will rise to £10 an hour, an increase of £1.40.
The Centre for Retail Research (CRR) has also warned that around 17,350 retail sites are expected to shut down this year.
It comes on the back of a tough 2024 when 13,000 shops closed their doors for good, already a 28% increase on the previous year.
Professor Joshua Bamfield, director of the CRR said: “The results for 2024 show that although the outcomes for store closures overall were not as poor as in either 2020 or 2022, they are still disconcerting, with worse set to come in 2025.”
It comes after almost 170,000 retail workers lost their jobs in 2024.
End-of-year figures compiled by the Centre for Retail Research showed the number of job losses spiked amid the collapse of major chains such as Homebase and Ted Baker.
It said its latest analysis showed that a total of 169,395 retail jobs were lost in the 2024 calendar year to date.
This was up 49,990 – an increase of 41.9% – compared with 2023.
It is the highest annual reading since more than 200,000 jobs were lost in 2020 in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced retailers to shut their stores during lockdowns.
The centre said 38 major retailers went into administration in 2024, including household names such as Lloyds Pharmacy, Homebase, The Body Shop, Carpetright and Ted Baker.
Around a third of all retail job losses in 2024, 33% or 55,914 in total, resulted from administrations.
Experts have said small high street shops could face a particularly challenging 2025 because of Budget tax and wage changes.
Professor Bamfield has warned of a bleak outlook for 2025, predicting that as many as 202,000 jobs could be lost in the sector.
“By increasing both the costs of running stores and the costs on each consumer’s household it is highly likely that we will see retail job losses eclipse the height of the pandemic in 2020.”
Celebrity chefs, members of Parliament and, the mega-wealthy are said to have frequented the venue, particularly its delicatessen.
Former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was said to be a fan of the store and actresses Jane Asher and Sophie Winkleman and also been said to visit.
The weekly Saturday Fine Food Market is hugely popular and attracted the likes of Princess Michael of Kent.
In 2023, the royal acted as a judge in Partridge’s World Chelsea Bun Awards Bake-Off Competition, which garners international attention.
The store’s connection to the royals started when Buckingham Palace placed an order in 1991.
It must have been a success as the shop was offered the royal warrant as grocers to Her Majesty the Queen three years later.