Jobs created in Lincoln furniture store switch-over

A well-known Lincoln furniture retailer is bowing out for retirement – but another family firm is taking its place with a £500,000 investment.

Some 11 new jobs have been created in the business move which will see the Shah Furniture & Interiors unit on Dixon Street taken over by home improvement company Palmers of Trent Bridge.

Dinesh and Dina Shah of Shah Furniture & Interiors in Dixon Street are currently having a closing down sale and the handover will be completed on November 1.

Palmers, a Nottingham-based business specialising in fitted furniture, has had its eye on Lincoln for many months.

Its team will be carrying out a refit before the business unveils its mid-to-upper market range, with a post-Christmas sale on December 27.

Dinesh and Dina, who acquired their business from the Baines family when Dinesh was 21, were joined by his uncle and aunt Shanti and Jaya Shah in 1978.

Together, they grew the venture and, over the years, it also had branches in Spalding, Grimsby and North Hykeham.

Mr Shah said: “In the early part of this year, we learned that Palmers was looking for a site in Lincoln via Banks Long & Co and had been made aware of the potential availability of our site.

“The first thing I am going to do now, is take a six months’ sabbatical. It took 36 years to build-up the business from scratch and we shall miss our wonderful, loyal customers, but now it is time to take stock. However, I don’t rule out doing something else in the future.”

Lincoln Chartered Surveyor Banks Long & Co acted on behalf of the Shahs in letting their premises.

Director James Butcher said: “We had good advance knowledge of Mr Shah’s plans and our broad knowledge of retailers in the wider East Midlands meant we were also well aware of Palmers of Trent Bridge when that business got in touch earlier this year to let us know they had a requirement for the City.

“Palmers is actually based in 4,000 sq ft premises at Trent Bridge, but Shah’s showroom extends to 6,500 sq ft, so this underlines the company’s confidence in the Lincolnshire market.”

Palmers Managing Director Jim Mersh said: “We are thrilled to be opening Palmers of Lincoln. We began thinking about coming to the city about four years ago but, with the advent of the recession it wasn’t a good time. It became a more logical prospect towards the end of last year.

“We were attracted to Lincoln because it seems to be a very modern, up-and-coming city. There is a lot of expansion going on and people are planning for the future.

“We design, supply and install kitchens, bedrooms, bathrooms, disability bathrooms and home offices. Most importantly, we have been established for 24 years in Nottingham, we are investing £500,000 in this move, and people in Lincolnshire can feel reassured that we intend to offer them a first class service.”