BARGAIN booze in Middlewich shut up shop and ceased business last Sunday.

Proprietors made the decision to close the Wheelock Street store after the shop suffered a series of financial set-backs.

Philip Sinclair, who took over the store in 2011 with business partner Alex Fischer, confirmed that the leasehold on the shop is now up for sale.

He added: “It was either carry on flogging a dead donkey or offer redundancies the staff are entitled to.”

Philip said that a number of factors led to the decision to close the store, including competition from the new Morrisons supermarket and Hightown’s NatWest shutting its doors back in June.

He added: “NatWest leaving town was a massive blow for us. We saw a massive drop in business.

“It’s one less reason to come to Middlewich, a lot of people bank with them.”
Bargain Booze is not the only shop on Wheelock Street being forced to close its doors. The Co-Operative Travel shop will be ceasing business on September 12.

It is one of 195 travel agencies being culled by parent company Thomas Cook in a bid to save the fledging company.

There is some light at the end of the tunnel, however, as staff from the travel agency are setting up shop as independent travel traders and will be opening for business at a nearby unit from mid-September.