Warrington department store Hancock & Wood to close after 112 years
It's been a fixture of the town's high street for over a century
By Cheshire Live
Family-run department store Hancock & Wood is set to close after more than a century on Warrington’s high street.
A family-run department store in Warrington is set to close after 112 years of trading.
Hancock & Wood, based on Bridge Street, has announced it will shut permanently, bringing an end to one of the town’s longest-running independent retail names.
The business was founded in 1914 by Frederick Hancock and has remained in family hands for four generations.
The store has been a familiar part of Warrington town centre for more than a century, selling fashion, homeware, gifts and other department store goods to generations of local shoppers.
The decision to close has been blamed on rising operating costs and wider changes in retail.
The business said increasing employment costs, public utilities, business rates and the amount of legislation facing retailers had left it with little room to continue.
Online shopping has also changed the way people use traditional town-centre department stores, putting further pressure on long-established independent retailers.
Hancock & Wood said the decision had not been taken lightly and said it was proud to have been one of Warrington’s oldest businesses.
The company also thanked its staff, customers and suppliers for supporting the store over many years.
An exact closing date has not yet been confirmed, but the business is expected to announce a final sale.
The closure will be another blow for traditional high street retail in Cheshire, particularly in town centres where independent businesses are facing higher costs and changing customer habits.
Department stores have been among the most exposed parts of the retail sector in recent years. Large names such as Debenhams and Beales have disappeared from UK high streets, while many smaller stores have struggled to balance footfall, staffing costs, energy bills and online competition.
For Warrington, the loss of Hancock & Wood will be about more than one shop unit. Long-running family stores often carry local memory, customer loyalty and a sense of continuity that is difficult to replace.
The Bridge Street building is also expected to be put up for sale for the first time in more than a century.
Local shoppers have responded with sadness to the news, with many remembering the store as a reliable and personal alternative to national chains.
The closure marks the end of a major chapter in Warrington’s retail history.