Just Williams Toys Leaves Herne HIll

It is with great sadness that the Herne Hill branch of Just Williams will be closing on Sunday 24th January due to the prohibitive rents that Dulwich Estates are now looking to secure.  I appreciate that upward rent reviews are a part of doing business.  However, there are numerous other factors to consider.  Herne Hill has never fully recovered after the flood two years ago, with footfall being down and several shops are still trying to recover their losses putting them in financial predicaments. 

I am sure if such high rents continue to be demanded for the area you will see several other shops disappear in the next few years.  As a result Herne Hill will not be the place it once was.  I both have lived in Herne Hill for 10 years as well as traded here and I now have real concerns on what is going to happen to the area.

We have 4 branches of Just Williams in East Dulwich, Beckenham and Clapham South, of which Herne Hill is the smallest (half the size of the Clapham  branch) yet the rent that is sought for Herne Hill is the most – where the footfall is the lowest!

Herne Hill is a lovely place and has a lot to offer and it sadness me that it will soon change due to such high rent increases.