Santa will make his last call to Limmings in Holbeach this year as the shop sees its final Christmas amid the new trend for “customer-present businesses”.
On Saturday (December 23), Santa will take his place in the Limmings grotto for he last time between 10am and 4pm.
Santa has stopped by the shop every Christmas for more than a decade but owner Patrick Limming said the Holbeach Christmas fixture will draw to a close this year as he prepares to wind-down the garden and homewares shop, which he said will close its doors for good in the summer.
Patrick said the closing date is “a bit fluid” as the stock has to be cleared but is certain this is the shop’s last Christmas.
A planning application has been submitted to turn the 3,000sq ft premises into a gym. This, Patrick said, follows the national trend of customer-present businesses. “Nobody wants it as a shop,” Patrick said, adding: “Nationally the top 10 closures are places like us, the top 10 things opening on the high street are things where people have to be there. If you look at Holbeach, it follows this national trend with tanning salons and tattoo shops opening.”
