Dress Circle to close after 33 years in the West End

Published: 3 August 2012
Reporter: David Chadderton

Dress CircleLondon's dedicated musical theatre shop Dress Circle is to close its Covent Garden premises after 33 years.

Citing the "downturn in the economy" and "the ever changing way that people are buying music" as reasons for its recent difficulties and stating that the London Olympics has brought fewer rather than more customers into its store, an e-mail to its newsletter subscribers this week stated that it will close its doors on 15 August.

The company has been struggling for some time, and a previous threat to its closure was met with a benefit gala last August at Her Majesty's Theatre with performances from a number of West End stars, but while "the Gala and the publicity surrounding it provided us with a significant though short lived increase in sales", it "provided us with little direct financial benefit and the increase in sales was not sustainable through the recession".

The company will continue to trade online at www.dresscircle.com and is hoping to find venues to continue its celebrity signings.

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