A Darlington furniture store owner has spoken of her sadness at her decision to close doors just over a year after opening because of a lack of footfall.
Zoe Edwards opened Studio Eleven on Crown Street in the town last September becoming the town's newest furniture boutique, offering distinctive items including ornaments, patterned mugs and plates as well as wall decorations.
But taking to social media said: "It’s with a heavy heart that I write this post but after a lot of thought and consideration I’ve decided to close the shop.
"It’s not something I wanted to do however there is just no footfall now where we are located. Since Wilko closed last year it’s had a massive effect on our business.
"We can go days without anyone stepping foot in the shop and we just don’t take enough money to cover the rent and bills.
"We have plenty of stock left which will be getting reduced along with the furniture.
"So if you want a great Xmas present at a great discount then pop in and have a look."
Zoe told The Northern Echo it had not been decided when doors will close finally, but she is hoping to stay open till Christmas, depending on what stock is left.
She said: "It was a tough decision to make. It’s been an amazing 13 months and I’ll be sorry to close.
"I will continue to paint furniture at home, as I used to do before I opened the shop. I will keep my Facebook page running for the foreseeable future.
"And who knows what the future holds for Studio Eleven. If I find a place on the High Street I will probably look at doing something again. If I found the right property I would do it.
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