Popular Sheffield shop to reopen months after it was set to permanently close

Stone the Crows! on Barker’s Pool announced a ‘genuine closing down sale’ in December after trading in the city for 11 years. The news followed a winding-up petition from HMRC for insolvency in May 2019.

The Dronfield-based business was founded 42 years ago and has branches in Dronfield, Leamington Spa and Essex. Its wholesale division also supplies about 1,200 shops across the country.

John Allan, who runs the company with his partner Philippa, previously said the Sheffield store would likely close at the end of February. But a sign in the shop’s window read: “Thanks to an eleventh-hour agreement with Sheffield City Council, Stone the Crows! has been given an extension to its occupation of their Barkers Pool shop.

“This will be until the end of September 2020, when the regeneration of the site will begin.”

The shop is based on the site of the Heart of the City II regeneration programme, which is still set to go ahead despite economic concerns from opposition councillors because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The sign read: “All the staff at Stone the Crows! are very grateful to Sheffield City Council for this agreement, as it hopefully gives us enough time to discover another more permanent site to open an ‘all-singing, all-dancing’ Stone the Crows! in the developing Sheffield City Centre.”

The shop will reopen on 4 July, according to a notice in the window.