Iconic Leighton Buzzard shop to close after 24 years in town

An iconic Leighton Buzzard business is saying a heartfelt farewell to customers as it plans to close after 24 years in the town.

Selections Hardware will sell its final goods on Christmas Eve, as residents have two more months to say goodbye to the well-loved store and its staff.

However, the team would like to stress that their neighbour, Selections Pet & Garden Stores, is not closing and hope that customers continue to support the family business.

Proprietor of Selections Hardware, Matthew Curtis, told the LBO: "We are truly saddened to be closing on Christmas Eve as it’s 24 years of blood sweat and tears, and one broken wrist and head injury that made me reevaluate things.

"My dream was always to build a business I could leave for my children but in doing so I ultimately missed out on a huge part of them growing up.

"With energy costs set to quadruple in January for us and with the challenges we face from the Cost of Living Crisis we felt it was the right time to quit while we were ahead and celebrate the business as a success."

Selections was founded in 1970 by Matthew's late grandfather and father, initially as a market stall in Edgeware, London.

Following their success, shops were opened in both Aylesbury and Leighton Buzzard, with the pet shop opening in 1987 and the neighbouring hardware store taken over from 'Leighton Hardware' in 1998.

Matthew said: "Leighton Buzzard offered the traditional market town feel that was close to the roots of where the business started.

"I have worked here since leaving school at the age of 18 after working up from a Saturday boy, taking over from my father in 2006. This is when the pet shop also separated from the original Selections."

Matthew describes the shop's biggest achievement as serving hundreds of customers during its busiest periods, fireworks and Christmas, "often delivering locally in our famous old van".

He added: "We battled through all lockdowns which saw a huge reduction in footfall, but luckily the online side kept us going through the difficult times."

Matthew now plans to retrain as an electrician, specialising in solar energy, and help people with increasing energy bills.

He has not yet advertised the property, so "cannot speculate on the next chapter for the building", but would encourage anyone interested to reach out.

Matthew concluded: "I have thoroughly enjoyed working with my family, including my supportive wife who worked for the company for 15 years, my brother-in-law who ran the online business, my father who I worked for alongside my mother, and the staff over the years, who I consider family.

"I would like to say a heartfelt thank you to all our customers; we really couldn’t have gone on so long without you.

"I would also like to thank all the staff, the longest standing member of which is Sue who has worked here since she was a Saturday kid some 40 years ago; the late Judy who is sadly missed; Kay who moved from our Aylesbury store; and current staff members Steve, Bernice, Shannon and Tina - not to mention numerous Saturday staff.”