A sad farewell to The Good Wool Shop in Formby

Feb 8, 20172 min read

The Good Wool shop in Formby village is closing it's doors this month as the drop in shoppers, particularly since the car park charges were put in place, has had a detrimental effect on all local independent businesses. Owner of the very popular Formby shop, Isabel sent this letter to explain in a bit more detail....

"I opened the Good Wool Shop at Derbyshire’s two years ago, offering both a treasure trove for wool lovers on Merseyside and an eagerly awaited resource for Formby people needing buttons, threads and basic sewing supplies.

Even before we opened we’d attracted a Facebook following and supporters who knitted and crocheted us bunting for opening day. Since then we’ve gone on gathering strength and made a real name for ourselves, attracting customers from as far afield as Norway, Australia and the USA.

We’ve had great feedback and 5 star reviews from the very beginning, with customers delighted to find a wide selection of real wool, good quality accessories and carefully chosen books and patterns. We’ve sold out courses and workshops from crochet to sock knitting and established two thriving knit and natter groups.

But these are hard times on the high street and Formby village has seen a marked drop in shoppers even since we opened, especially since car park charges were introduced at Sumner Road. Despite our best efforts and our loyal following the shop is not paying its way and I have had to take the decision to close.

Our last day’s trading will be Saturday 18th February. From 1st to 18th February, we’ll be having a closing down sale, with great bargains to be had while stocks last.

The good news is that even after we clear the shelves in our section of Derbyshire’s the Good Wool Shop’s other activities will be carrying on: our groups at Cathy’s Tea Room and the Lifeboat are unaffected, we have a refresher crochet course starting on Feb 23rd and another sock knitting course starting after Easter. Local people can look out for us with stalls at events like Formby Live, and we’re working on other ideas too.

To keep informed about what’s on you can join our email newsletter list, check out our Facebook page and website at

www.thegoodwoolshop.co.uk or drop in to see us before we close at Derbyshire’s, 22 - 24 Chapel Lane, Formby."

By Isabel - The Good Wool Shop

Formby Bubble will keep you updated on all the events and activities that Isabel will be involved in via her monthly Good Wool column in the Formby Bubble newspaper.