Doors open at their new nearby location on August 1 but their new storefront is a slightly smaller location than their long-term premises on the corner of Warwick’s High Street.
“Warwick is known for its antique shops and gradually they’ve been squeezed out,” says manager Colin Waite.
More than 30 dealers trade from the centre and Waite estimates that the move will require the transportation of many thousands of items.
“It’s not like a dress shop where you can just fold everything up, put it under your arm and take a taxi. We have something like 600 glasses here,” he added.
There was no possibility of renewing the lease after the private owner put it on the open market where it attracted interest from a number of corporate companies.
The national chain Coffee#1 are in place to take up the lease in early August. The planning application they have submitted has been met with objections from other local retailers and an online petition titled “Chain coffee shops! No more!” The petition currently has more than half the 500 signatures needed for consideration by the council.
However Wait says that even if the planning application is not granted the lease will go to the next corporate bidder rather than back to the antiques centre.
Warwick Antiques Centre has traded from its current location on 22-24 High Street since it opened in 1972.
The centre’s new home is undergoing renovation to accommodate the cabinets from which the dealers exhibit their stock. Plans for the opening event are also underway.
The new shop will be located on 5-7 Jury Street.
