A family business in Ashton which has become a household name in Tameside is closing its doors after 58 years.

Ashton Furnishing/Ashton Bathrooms/Ashton Discount, on Stamford Street, will shut up shop at the end of a ‘Retirement Sale’ closing a chapter on one of Ashton’s long-standing businesses.

The original family business was established in 1964 under the name ‘The Homemaker.’

It was a small shop situated on Old Street in Ashton and established by Joe and Shirley Merrick, selling bathroom and kitchen fittings.

In 1967, Shirley and Joe decided that a larger premises was needed due to an increase in demand with people buying and doing up their homes.

So they took over the premises in St Michael’s Square in Ashton. With this move they decided a new name would be appropriate and they decided on Ashton Discount.

By 1971, business was booming to such an extent the couple decided that something even larger was required.

Keeping the store in St Michael’s Square, they set up shop on their present site.

Sadly, Joe passed away in 1981, but Shirley continued in business with their children, Paul and Carol, who were by now involved in the everyday running of the company, each brought their own areas of expertise.

The biggest upheaval of all came in 1984, when the Co-op next door (Stamford Street store) suddenly became vacant. This meant they could have everything under one roof which made life much easier. A warehouse also became vacant behind the current site, which meant they could hold more stock.

The 1980s brought with it lots of change. They started selling furniture, undertook a total refurbishment of the Stamford Street store and also in 1989 they celebrated their 25th Silver Anniversary. The 1990s brought yet another refurbishment.

This required expanding the upstairs of the showroom to make way for a new bedroom department, before in 1999 they celebrated their 35th Anniversary.

The 21st Century came with not just another refurb, but also a new rebrand. With social media and the internet, they decided that they would  need to become a ‘clicks and bricks’ retailer.

Shoppers now shop around and use smart phones to compare prices.

With three generations of the family working within the company, the business was one of the largest independent retailers in bathrooms and furniture in the UK.

So, it’s a huge wrench for the family and staff as Ashton Furnishing/Ashton Bathrooms to finally close the doors.

Shirley, Paul, Carol, John and the staff would like to thank customers past and present for their support.

Paul Merrick said: “This was a difficult decision to be made, as we have enjoyed our time in Ashton.

“This will be our final sale and once everything is gone we will be closing the doors.”

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