Old Moo Too, Sew East Dulwich Shop 45 Lordship Lane

[Louisa]

Jack Wills have been looking at Dulwich for a long long time - but like Waitrose have yet to find anywhere suitable.

Louisa.

[easytiger]

Angusvanfrehley Wrote:

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> To be fair I am not an expert on businesses

> rates.... I have it on very good authority the

> rent doubled..... a friend enquired and was told

> ?36k a year. With insurance, pay for public radio

> use, accountant fees, wages, security, utilities

> and purchase of stock your looking at a lot of

> loot to make it work.

The rent did not double, it had not even reached the end of its lease for it to be reviewed as such if that were the case. The rent was kept below market value for the past several years and the increase it should have had 5 years ago was staggered upwards year on year as asked for by Mootoo and agreed with landlords, below market value. The landlord and tenant had a good relationship. The rent is not 36k, do your research. Your friend is misinformed. Business rates are high depending on zones and size of property. The property is almost 900 sq ft which makes rates high. Mootoo turned into SewEastDulwich and after 9 months of re-trading as a haberdashery their cash flow dried up and they put themselves into liquidation. They gave the keys back to the landlord and passed everything over to them with no notice, surrendering their lease which was informal and now offically done. No more speculation needed.

[IanSE22]

Easytiger, no I never worked there. However I believe the rents were close to ?3000 per mth before business rates or wages, bills etc even taken in to account. The shop was doubled in size and improved by the lady who ran MooToo, she converted the dilapidated back stockroom into a usable retail space at her own expense, but of course that improved usage meant then the rental rates increase. Cashflow wasnt an issue, sadly most local people would pitch up during sale time when stock is half price but not patronise the shop the rest of the time. Its very tough at the moment when small businesses are closing at the rate of one in three shops. Mary Portas and her desire to boost UK High Streets with diversity has a long road ahead if locals dont support their shops and only businesses left to thrive will be chains, more Lordship Lane Bars aimed at younger drinkers, or Indian restaurants. Landlords are in a win win situation really, the tenants foot the bill for all improvements and dilapidation costs. I feel sorry for other independent businesses though like Mon Petit Chou or Toast which will be nearest rivals to a chain such as Starbucks.

[poppet27]

As a relative newcomer to East Dulwich (well, a year), I wonder if the reason may be more simple: I for one had no idea what Sew East Dulwich sold.

Maybe one argument is some of LL's shops don't fill any consumer need. I often wonder what that colour me happy shop is actually selling/ doing, and the one that seems to sell patterned lampshades. I don't say this because I enjoy seeing people fail, but Ms Portas herself would urge shopkeepers to let people know what you are actually selling! Only then can you exploit latent demand and increase footfall.

I pray that it won't be another estate agent/ coffee shop/ betting shop/ metro supermarket/ Indian restaurant. Failing an independent trader, a Boots wouldn't be a bad idea.

Space NK sounds nice but the demographics don't seem to fit in my lay opinion.

[NewWave]

Colour Me Happy sells THE most fantastic paints, And I for one would be gutted to see it go. In addition to paint they also sell great colored electrical flex.AND have a superb and fun painting wheel where kids and adults alike can get messy and make art.

I think Jack Wills is VILE...its over-priced badly made and a copy of Abercrombie. Just very very dull.

Space NK would be nice but so also would be a Neals Yard Apothicary,Or a frozen Yoghurt chain like Frae or PinkBerry.

[Cedges]

Sew East Dulwich sold sewing stuff in East Dulwich. I'm not sure what was confusing about that. The shop with all the lampshades pretty much sold lampshades and to avoid any future confusion, the one with all the fruit and veg outside is a greengrocers and the one with meat in the window is a butchers.

[first mate]

Prior to being a sewing shop, Moo 2 was an excellent clothes shop for many,many years and one that will be/is sorely missed. I just pray a chain does not move in because a homogenised high street would spell the end for the ED I have known and loved all these years. Be careful what you wish for folks.

As to the landlord, I have heard a rumour, though that is all it is, that another independent shopowner on the lane is also landlord of a number of shops on the street, one of which is the former Moo2. Anyone know if this is true?

[Jeremy]

first mate Wrote:

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> Moo 2 was an excellent clothes shop

Ah you see, I though Moo 2 was another gift/trinket shop, similar to Celestial and Ed. So maybe they DID need to clarify their "offering"? Although saying that, I don't think there was much ambiguity in the "Sew East Dulwich" incarnation.

[Earl Aelfheah]

Previous incarnations aside, sew east dulwich always struck me as an optimistically niche offering.

[Cedges]

There is actually a real need for a haberdasher in this area, the problem was that Sew East Dulwich was so expensive, it was a luxury and it was still worth trekking to Lewisham or Brixton for reasonable priced fabrics and threads etc.

[Sue]

Sew East Dulwich was clearly trying to cash in (I don't mean that in a negative way) on the current sewing/knitting/craft/"upcycling" trend.

Unfortunately (but understandably given the ED demographic) it was pitched at those people with enough money to buy expensive materials, and I guess there just weren't enough of them around who were into sewing etc.

It's a bit of a strange thing really - a supposedly austerity-driven trend which attracts better-off people to spend a lot of money on making something for themself which they could afford to buy ready made. I know it's supposed to be about creative satisfaction, but often there is very little creativity involved. Anyway, I digress ....

Another thing, it was a brave move to devote a whole shop to this, given that many people buy sewing and knitting materials on the internet, where there is huge choice at reasonable prices.

I'm sorry Sew East Dulwich failed, not least because I thought it was a great name, but also not surprised, sadly.

Please God it becomes neither Starbucks nor Jack Wills :(

ETA: Though I would have thought the space wasn't big enough for either.

[AbDabs]

Cedges Wrote:

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> There is actually a real need for a haberdasher in

> this area, the problem was that Sew East Dulwich

> was so expensive, it was a luxury and it was still

> worth trekking to Lewisham or Brixton for

> reasonable priced fabrics and threads etc.

Surely it wasn't just that it was so expensive (for what they were selling it was pretty shocking) but because there is another shop that sells material just a few minutes walk away (few doors down from the - now ex - Mag). I know the owner of that shop is a bit of a grumpy so and so but I've been happy with all the material I've bought from him.

[NewWave]

Theres Always Stag and Bow on Dartmouth road in Forest hill, they sell wool,needles, thread and crafty bits and also do craft courses.

[Cedges]

AbDabs Wrote:

>

> Surely it wasn't just that it was so expensive

> (for what they were selling it was pretty

> shocking) but because there is another shop that

> sells material just a few minutes walk away (few

> doors down from the - now ex - Mag). I know the

> owner of that shop is a bit of a grumpy so and so

> but I've been happy with all the material I've

> bought from him.

I was led to believe that the shop near the mag was more of a curtains/upholstery kind of material shop rather than one catering to all inc quilters, crosstichers, embroiderers and dressmakers....is this not the case then?

[Sue]

Cedges Wrote:

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> AbDabs Wrote:

> >

> > Surely it wasn't just that it was so expensive

> > (for what they were selling it was pretty

> > shocking) but because there is another shop

> that

> > sells material just a few minutes walk away

> (few

> > doors down from the - now ex - Mag). I know the

> > owner of that shop is a bit of a grumpy so and

> so

> > but I've been happy with all the material I've

> > bought from him.

>

>

> I was led to believe that the shop near the mag

> was more of a curtains/upholstery kind of material

> shop rather than one catering to all inc quilters,

> crosstichers, embroiderers and dressmakers....is

> this not the case then?

xxxxxxx

Yes it is. And I wasn't aware that SewEastDulwich sold fabric?

It sold sewing and knitting "materials" - not "material" in the sense of fabric??

[Mellors]

It did sell fabric, although a limited range of Amy Butler etc at ?15ish per metre. I liked it, and used it quite a bit (although agreed it was expensive, but sometimes I just can't be bothered to trek to lewisham/Lavender Hill/Brixton for haberdashery). SharpWorks in herne Hill is great for yarn, neeles etc, btu limited on the sewing side.

I am mostly too scared to go in Fabric by the Mag after a few grumpy experiences, and think its mostly upholstery type fabic rather than dressmaking.

[AbDabs]

Mellors Wrote:

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> ...

> I am mostly too scared to go in Fabric by the Mag

> after a few grumpy experiences, and think its

> mostly upholstery type fabic rather than

> dressmaking.

The Fabric shop has evolved into mostly upholstery but it wasn't always so. He also tried selling wool for a while but found it wasn't sustainable. Unless you've got a big enough shop it's really hard to be able to provide the level and variety of stock that will keep your regulars happy. I spoke to the owner of Sew East Dulwich some months ago and it seemed that she was going through the same process (of learning what would sell) as the man at Fabric had done before her but, ultimately, he owns his shop so doesn't need the same margin to cover costs and is happy to run a business as not much more of a hobby. It's a tough business when so much has transferred to the internet (I'm guilty - if I want variety of materials I head to town and for basics (lining material, threads etc,) it's straight to my laptop).

Shops on LL need to adapt to survive; some will get it right and some won't. This was just an example of one that didn't.

[JessM]

A bit off topic, but... I just got some lovely curtains from Fabric with no grumpiness on either side of the deal!

But yes, he's not really a haberdashers.