We are thrilled to announce that we are moving to Trentham Retail Village, next to Trentham Gardens as part of their Phase 3 development, due to be completed in July

Why are we moving?

We have listened to our customers, and we have talked to suppliers and discussed our strategy during a very trying time, and we realised that we had to move the shop. The main issues our customers have put forward include:

- Parking - there is no free parking nearby, and the parking costs are increasing ahead of inflation. This makes browsing and impulse purchases difficult, especially when the parking machines require change - cards or mobile purchases cannot be used - and there is no minimum time.

- Footfall - our location has always been a challenge, but we are at the mercy of the council and its plans for the rest of the town. Bridge St. has seen many stores struggling, and unfortunately closing down. Additionally the recent roadworks, and the plan for further roadworks have made our business unsustainable in its present location.

- Range - we are not a destination store, and can serve only the people of Newcastle and surrounding areas. It is difficult to compete online at our size, and so there is a limit to our growth in Bridge St. We think we have maximised what we can achieve there, and the business is not viable long term.

Why Trentham?

We considered a number of locations, and over the last 6-12 months it has been more and more challenging to operate a successful business in Newcastle, and so we started looking further afield.

The new phase 3 at Trentham Retail Village will extend the estate to provide a new range of exciting stores and shopping opportunities for regular locals and people from further afield passing through. The extra footfall will allow us to deliver a wider range of instruments, music and accessories to our music teachers and those in education, but also to massively extend our range of gifts.

When?

The units are still being built, and are expected to open during July, with a grand opening towards the end of July. Please like our Facebook page to get further updates.