A MUCH-LOVED York business is closing its city centre clothes store after more than a decade of trading.
Dog & Bone Vintage in Castlegate will shut its doors for the last time on Tuesday, June 30 after 13 years in the city.
Owner Nic Musgrove-Barker spoke to The Press about the decision and how the focus to online sales is "perhaps almost a blessing."
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He said: "The shop has simply declined month-on-month for over a year now, and as online sales have grown, the physical store has reached its natural end.
"Business rates have always been an issue - as a local self-employed individual with only a few local staff, I have paid practically the same rates as a bigger chain would on the premises.
"It's the same with VAT - it would be fairer to tier that so developing businesses got a chance to grow, but these are country-wide issues I know a lot of independent business owners grapple with."
Nic said once things settle down after the closure, Dog & Bone will still be present at vintage markets across the country.
He added that online stock sourcing leans more towards curation, adding: "The shop-model became difficult because custom in the city became increasingly tourist-driven.
"We were required to cater to a broad range of markets - and increasingly stock the most commercially viable - which began to dilute the brand I'd worked so hard to create.
"Online allows me to capture a selection that is more personal to the kind of vintage I love and in keeping with the Dog & Bone Vintage brand.
"Working online is harder - sourcing, photographing, listing and sending out goods is labour-intensive.
"However, I can have a bigger space to operate in, for less and reach customers interested in what we sell easier.
"I'll really miss meeting and greeting our customers though, so hopefully we can see them at some point in the future at the markets."
Nic says a lot of his customers shop for more sustainable materials amid growing pressures on modern brands to produce in a more ethical style, which could see the market for vintage continuing to seek well-made stylish products produced in smaller batches.
He said: "The second hand market for branded goods, not strictly vintage, has grown hugely over the last decade.
"However, I worry this perpetuates the production of lower-quality 'branded' goods, which then enter the second-hand market.
This cycle encourages brands to release more branded goods, potentially leading not only to lower-quality items but also to production methods that are less favorable and less ethical ways.
"In my opinion, less is more - and we need to return to buying less, and buying better.
"This is always hard during tough economic times but we should definitely all try to make things last longer and return to darning our socks."
Dog & Bone Vintage in Castlegate closes at 5pm on Tuesday, June 30. For more information visit https://dogandbonevintage.com
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