Lost shops of York: Burgins Perfumery in Coney Street

When it closed almost five years ago, York lost a piece of retail history.

Burgins had been trading for 137 years before it went out of business in July 2017.

The Burgins shop first opened as Mark F Burgin’s pharmacy in 1880.

It was subsequently taken over by the Wright family in 1934 and changed into a perfumery in 1972.

During lockdown last year Chatime, a Bubble tea shop, opened up in the former perfume shop, which had lain empty since its closure.

Our archive photos show Burgins as many of us remember - with its charmingly old fashioned interior, crammed wall to wall with fragrances.

If you were looking for an unusual scent, or wanted to track down an old favourite - this was the place to come.

One of our very old photos dates from 1876 and shows the distinctive corner of Coney Street where Burgins was to make its mark.

And another image shows King George VI and Queen Elizabeth walking past Burgins on a visit to York in 1937. This photo is recorded as proudly hanging in Burgins before its closure.

Burgins in Coney Street - King George VI and Queen Elizabeth pass by during a royal visit in 1937

Several of our photos feature former Burgins owners June and Leneord Yeo, who were at the helm before Hanus Wolf, who closed the shop for good in July 2017 saying it was no longer financially viable.

Mr Wolf, who took over the shop in 2011, told The Press at the the time that he had to make five members of staff redundant.

He said the combination of out of town and online shopping were insurmountable.

He said: “Shortly after buying the business, the face of trading in York city centre changed. Major national competitor chains began to trade on Coney Street, the closure of Lendal Bridge and opening of Vangarde Shopping Park, all had devastating effects on businesses, especially small ones, like Burgins.

June and Leonard Yeo who ran the Burgins for many years

“However, the most damaging effect on business has been the change in people’s shopping habits. Buying online is de riguer, where the desire for the cheapest, fastest purchase at the click of a button is seen as the norm.”

He said this decline in footfall had made trading “exceptionally difficult” with ever-increasing costs but constantly decreasing revenue.

“Burgins Perfumery has been unable to sustain the decline in sales,” he added.

Mr Wolf said he was “very sad” to close the business.

What York shops do you miss? Share your thoughts, memories and photos in our nostalgia Facebook group, Why We Love York- Memories. Find us at: facebook.com/groups/yorknostalgia/