Jobs at a Crafters Companion Store are at risk of redundancy as it faces cuts to survive due to the coronavirus pandemic.
A spokesperson from Newton Aycliffe-based Crafter's Companion said due to Covid-19 and the unprecedented challenges it has brought to retail, the craft business is unable to reopen its store at Aycliffe Business Park.
There are 12 people at the store who are in consultation for redundancy. The firm was set-up in 2005 by Dragons’ Den star Sara Davies and has recently acquired business Totally Tiffany – which is based in California. It currently employs 200 staff and exports products to more than 40 countries across Europe, Asia, South Africa, Australia and North and South America.
The business said it has seen a move from people shopping in retail stores to online. Shows on its digital platform, Crafter’s TV, have been successful, enabling the company to further service online shoppers throughout the pandemic.
The company said it believes that viewership will continue to grow, creating new opportunities now and in the future. Simon Davies, managing director of Crafter’s Companion, said: “This pandemic has severely affected the retail landscape and like so many other businesses, we have had to make some difficult decisions to in order to safeguard as many jobs as possible.
“It is with great regret that we are unable to reopen our Aycliffe Store and our thoughts are with our colleagues who are facing redundancy. We will continue to support them in any way that we can.
“We have exhausted every other option, and this decision ensures that Crafter’s Companion can continue to thrive in the years to come.”
Crafter’s Companion is reopening its Evesham and Chesterfield stores on August 17.
Source: The Northern Echo
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