Goldenhill Late Shop will be shutting in a few weeks, with a replace store coming shortly.

I tried to get into the late shop this morning, but a note on the door informed me that the shop was closed due to a staff meeting. I'd heard it rumours, but didn't realise that the Co-op were pulling out of Goldenhill so soon.

Some of the residents in the area I spoke to today said that a number of staff had been made redundant already, and the shop was to close in two weeks time.

A Goldenhill without a convenience stall in my opinion would spell disaster for local people and businesses alike. With the late shop gone, there would be no Post Office. With no post office a lot of people in the area would have really struggled to reach the next local post offices situated in Kidsgrove or Tunstall. Passing trade which also benefits other local shops would have dried up.

In recent months trade has already suffered by the putting up of barriers outside the co-op, so another knock for the area is not needed.

The decision to put the barrier up to the Methodist Church car park a few years back made it much less convenient to park. However this would be less of a problem if the current owners of the late shop paid money for the car park to made less like an assault course and more like a car park.

Good News
So the good news then. The new owners of the store will be re-opening with the post office in store still, which was one of their caveats for taking over the store.

Also the carpark at the rear had markings on suggesting that some work would be carried out.