Mayor of York David Skaith closes fashion store after 10 years
David Skaith, the first Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, is closing his Winston's of York fashion store after 10 years operating in the city.
The store at Back Swinegate, which sells Winston's of York's own range of clothing, will close at the end of February. In a post on social media Skaith said he would not be renewing the lease on the store as the space was no long right for the brand and his role as Mayor, which he took up in May 2024, needed to "be my priority, right now".
Winston's sells a range of graphic t-shirts and sweats – some paying tribute to the city of York – and will continue to operate online.
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Skaith, a Labour politician, made it clear his decision to close the retail store had nothing to do with rising business rates or his party's business policies.
"I know that some people will jump to the conclusion that this is to do with business rates, but just to be absolutely clear, we’ve always fallen under the threshold and business has been strong for us throughout the last five years. This is about what’s right for my business right now, nothing to do with policy.
"Winston’s has changed a lot since I opened it ten years ago. We’ve gone from selling other people’s clothes to our own, supporting independent designers along the way. I’m so grateful to all my customers, friends and family who have supported us over the past decade. And most importantly my staff, who have been incredible, especially over the last eighteen months since I stepped away from the business, you have been amazing," Skaith said.
Along with retailers and other high street businesses nationwide, traders in York have said they will be hit with rates hikes in April following Chancellor Rachel Reeves' decision to end rates discounts that had been introduced to provide relief during the Covid era. Business rates are calculated on the rentable value of a property and rents remain high in York as the City has very few empty shops.
Main image: @winstonsofyork Instagram
