ALMOST two years since Bratts of Northwich closed down, the company has announced its last Cheshire department store will also close its doors, marking the end of the iconic name.

In April 2021, Bratts in Witton Street - which had served Northwich for 160 years - announced it would be closing after being hit by flooding during Storm Christoph, as well as the Covid-19 pandemic.

The much-loved family-run department store made the announcement on April 6, but confirmed it would continue to operate its store in Nantwich, which would become the main base of operations.

Now, the Nantwich store is sadly following in Northwich’s footsteps, and will close in December.

A spokesperson for Bratts said: “The Bratts store in Nantwich is due to close its doors for good at the end of this year, almost two years since the closure of the Northwich store due to the floods in Northwich in January 2021.

“Mr Tim Gray, the managing director and co-owner of Bratts is to retire in December after almost 45 years at the helm of the historic business.

“Having no family coming through to continue on in his footsteps, as he had done following his father Mr Donald Gray’s retirement in 1987, the business, which sits in a prime position in the heart of the market square, will close its doors for the last time on Friday December 23.

“The staff and the local community are shocked and upset, just as was the case in Northwich, to hear that such an iconic brand, which is deeply ingrained in the hearts and minds of the people of Nantwich and has been since 1971 when the Gray family bought the store from the Harlock family.

“The management would like to sincerely thank all their loyal customers, both local and not so local, who have supported both stores through many years, and they will be extremely saddened to see the final Bratts store close.”