Shop in Helston Gillian's Larder to close due to lockdowns

Gillian's larder, which was set up and run by former mayor of Helston, Gillian Geer, will be closing at some point over the next few weeks after a significant dip in footfall since the onset of the pandemic.

During the pandemic and subsequent national lockdowns, founder Gillian Geer told The Packet how, with more and more people buying goods online due to Covid restrictions, the store has seen a fall in the number of customers coming through the door and took the tough decision to close down before running costs began causing them financial difficulties.

Gillian said: "We've been struggling since the lockdowns came about, I'd hoped it would pick up, but there's nobody in the street.

"Come the afternoon in Helston it's absolutely dead, and we've got his far but at this rate we can't make it to Christmas, so rather than get all the Christmas stock that we normally do, I said 'no, we'll stop before we get into debt.'

"We can't keep on and on hoping that it will get better, as it isn't.

Gillian at her larder in Helston

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"I do feel terribly sorry for the shops that are left because there's fewer and fewer around, but on the other hands, you've got to look after yourself.

"The Covid thing meant that most people got into the habit of a different way of shopping, and I don't blame them for that, it's just that you can't go back and you've got what you've got.

"I don't think the high street is coming back, people keep saying 'oh we'll go back to the high street' but they're never going to do that, It's never going to be Aunt Flo going around with a basket from the butcher to the baker.

"So let's just accept what it is and move on."

Gillian has said the shop will be closing in three week's time as she wants to clear as much stock as possible before closing the doors for the last time, however, no concrete closing down date has been decided.

Gillian continued: "We'll get to the end of this month, and then everything will have to go then.

"I'm assuming three or so weeks and that should more or less do it."

Gillian's Larder was set up at the end of 2011 as Gillian's Tubs and changed to Gillian’s Larder after moving to a larger store in 2014 and sells a variety of dried goods and fruits and vegetables as well as including a delicatessen.