The independent, family-run Hargreaves & Son of Buxton

Not many companies can say they’ve weathered 160 years in the business, yet that is the case for the independent, family-run Hargreaves & Son of Buxton.

Specialising in home, gift, tableware and kitchenware the business, based in Spring Gardens, has been serving the town since 1865.

‘It was Alice Hargreaves who established the firm, selling China and glass in her father’s grocers shop up on Eagle Parade,’ explains Martin Coles-Evans, managing director of Hargreaves & Son.

‘We can’t be exactly sure of the date, but we do know from records that the company was active in 1865, with local author Julian Cohen filling in many of the blanks in the earliest part of the Hargreaves story.’

Martin, who took over running the company from his parents, Cliff and Teresa Coles, is the fourth generation of his family to run the shop, which has diversified into homewares, décor, textiles and kitchen products over the years.

‘It’s a huge honour to be running this business,’ adds Martin. ‘It’s part of the fabric of Buxton and its collective memory. Customers will often mention how they used to visit our shop with parents and grandparents, how they bought things from way back in my grandfather’s day – and still treasure them. We’re a part of Buxton’s family traditions.’

Having recently made significant changes to the business, including closing the cafe after 35 years and expanding into the first floor with more products, Hargreaves’ focus is in investing in a wider range of products than ever before.

Hargreaves company car from 1923 Photo: Hargreaves ‘We’re in a very lucky position in that we own the premises, but we’ve always needed a bigger shop. Having the first-floor space takes us back to our origins at the Spring Gardens store,’ says Martin.

‘We’re passionate about giving Buxton quality products you perhaps wouldn’t expect to find in a small town like ours and that’s important to us. Just because we’re in a small rural town, we shouldn’t have to trek to a big city for a decent vase, toaster or cushion.

‘We have a poster outside the shop saying ‘Department store’ and with time we hope that really resonates with customers; we love being the place Buxton comes to for special occasions, but we also want to be the place Buxton thinks of first for the everyday items too.’

Being 160 years old, it’s fair to say Hargreaves has experienced a lot of change over the years, both in the town and in terms of the business landscape more generally, including, of course, customers’ changing buying habits and expectations.

‘We’ve seen our fair share of change over the years,’ says Martin. ‘My mum, Teresa, can reel off all the shops that were once neighbours of ours up and down Spring Gardens. She’s 86 this year and still a vibrant part of our team.

‘The future of Buxton, with the imminent redevelopment of the Springs Centre, can only be positive. Buxton is holding its own and we have a wealth of fabulous independent stores other local towns lack and envy.

It’s a landmark year for Hargreaves & Son Photo: Hargreaves

‘It’s these shops, like ours, that makes Buxton such a great place to shop and visit. We have character and charm, and gorgeous architecture too, but we can’t become a museum attraction – we need to accept change and embrace it. What each of these independents such as ourselves offer is unique and our customers come to us exactly for that experience.’

This year signifies a significant milestone for the business, so how does Martin and the team plan to mark it?

‘I remember the 150th anniversary back in 2015, we had a banner across the Spring Gardens frontage and a new design of carrier bag,’ he recalls.

‘This time, we’re working with our suppliers to launch some exclusive new products to celebrate the occasion, and we’re shouting about Hargreaves from the rooftops. We know exactly how lucky we are to still be trading – so many of our competitors have fallen by the way and so many customers tell us about stores like ours in their town that have long since disappeared – so we see Hargreaves as a champion of small businesses, the high street and doing things right.’

And what of the future for the business?

‘We find lots of ways to fill the shop and in recent years we’ve moved into more seasonal offerings. The Christmas shop, for example, was a big success’ Martin concludes.

‘We now have summer collections coming in, bringing some variety into the shop and our famous windows! It helps that my husband and I are interested in the aspects of what we offer – we’re into interior design, homes and kitchens so it’s not just stock to us, we are looking for things to offer our customers that we ourselves want and like and I think that’s so important.

‘Now we’ve more space it’s giving us an opportunity to enter new territory. For example, we’ve a lovely new display of table lamps and lamp shades – something we’ve dipped our toes in previously but never to this scale – and our home textiles department, with wonderful cushions and throws, is soon to be enhanced with a new curtain department, giving customer a choice of styles to suit their homes in a way no one else can.

‘We’re driving forward to make Hargreaves & Son a real destination shop.’