As many of you know, Atkinsons of Sheffield is 154-year-old, family run, department store, based on The Moor, in the centre of the city. Now into the fourth generation, with the fifth, in the wings, the store is one of the largest independent department stores in the country, covering 75,000 sq feet on two levels, with 41 departments, three restaurants, and a 400-space car park above the store, with access from Charter Row. Nicholas has been in the business for 54 years. We have built our business on customer service and being pleasant to our customers and making them feel welcome. We would love to meet new customers and show them how we have developed, especially over the last 20 years. Our monthly newsletter is to give an insight into the business, with some light-hearted rhetoric, to prove we are human!
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Chris and I must admit to being completely overwhelmed! We launched our new monthly email letter at the end of January 26, and it was viewed by over 120,000 people. Amazing - and thank you for showing such an interest in Atkinsons. We hope to keep you engaged enough to come and visit us, see how we have changed over the last few years, and continue to support us on the high street. The Moor has a good selection of shops, and the latest to arrive is Pandora, which is great news for the area.
This is a busy buying time of year for the store. The spring stock is now on the shop floor and selling well, although the wet weather hasn’t helped. The buying teams are already out at numerous shows purchasing for Autumn 2026. Chris and I were out buying last week with Sandra, our Gift Buyer, visiting the Spring Fair at the NEC near Birmingham. We left home at 6.30am, picked Sandra up in Rotherham at 7am, and then faced a three-hour journey through darkness, rain and snow. All 17 halls at the NEC were open, so we split up and, 20,000 steps later, returned to Sheffield in the dark and wet - but very satisfied with all the new stock ordered.
We are also members of AIS (Associated Independent Stores), who have large showrooms in Solihull, and we use them to buy a diverse range of goods sourced from home and abroad. Their buying power enables us to remain competitive and gives us the edge in offering something a little different from other retailers. This makes our buying selection somewhat unique, which I think is important these days.
However, as many of you will already know, we concentrate heavily on customer service as well. It is very important to us that customers enjoy their visit. We pride ourselves on meeting and greeting everyone who comes to shop with us and hopefully making them feel at home. Christine and I enjoy talking to customers, but Chris, whose departments are at the front of the store, is in her element - chatting to everyone who needs help and advice. I often hope my great-great-grandfather, who founded the business in 1872, would be proud of the way the fourth generation runs it today. It is quite a responsibility, but we do our best - and our customers seem to enjoy the experience, which is what shopping should be all about.
Of course, one of the main reasons people come shopping with us is for a meal or a snack. At Atkinsons we have three eateries, all run for us by the Massarella family, who first came into the store in the 1970s. Many of you will remember the Ice Cream Parlour they opened in the front windows - it was the talk of the town for years and sold the best ice cream. Atkinsons is where Massarella’s began their catering empire, and today they run three cafés across the store. Each offers something slightly different, from traditional to more casual dining, and the café at the front of the store, with its outside seating area, is particularly popular. Their Italian delicacies and coffee are excellent.
After our cats’ “claim to fame” in last month’s newsletter, I have had to take drastic action during the relentless February rain to get them outside for some exercise - which has not gone down well. In revenge, they have taken to clawing off the kickboards under the kitchen units so they can hide behind them. It has almost become an obsession now they have learnt how to do it. However, there is a positive - when my daughter Becky brings her dog across, which is roughly the size of a small pony, the cats can escape safely underneath!
A customer raised a point in our last newsletter regarding the availability of disabled parking spaces, and I would like to thank them for bringing this to our attention. In our car park, we provide what we refer to as accessibility bays for disabled drivers as well as parents with children. In total, there are 18 designated bays. We are also pleased to share that our car park has recently been re-awarded the Car Park of Excellence Award, reflecting our ongoing commitment to accessibility and high standards.
Briefly, a few points which may interest you. Our March event starts on Saturday 28th, with up to 70% off across the store. It is always a great event and certainly not one to miss, with a selection of “doorbusters” throughout the store and free goodie bags for the first 300 customers through the door.
Thank you for your continued support - and for those of you who haven’t visited us recently, please do (hopefully on Saturday).
Nicholas and Christine Atkinson
