Mitchells Newsagents on High Street, Northallerton to close
Mark Willoughby, 67, who owns Mitchells Newsagents on the High Street in Northallerton, says he’s “honoured” to have served the community for more than four decades but now “feels like it’s the right time to step away from the business”.
The shop will close for the final time on Saturday, March 28, marking the end of a long connection between the newsagent and its loyal customers.
Despite having an opportunity to retire when he was 50-years-old, Mr Willoughby said it was a “pure joy” to continue running the business for all of these years.
After taking over the shop from Peter Mitchell, Mr Willoughby has seen numerous changes over the years, including the number of newspaper deliveries going from 500 to just over 250.
Mr Willoughby has also seen a transition into the internet and digital transactions.
But, despite this, he says the shops have remained “old school” and insists that he still does everything with a ledger, alongside a trusty pen and paper.
“I’ve enjoyed doing it every day, and even though sometimes it can be stressful, I’ve loved serving our custmomers and it feels more like a hobby than a job,” said Mr Willoughby.
“I think we’ve stood the test of time because we’ve been there for the community, and they’re like our family. Customers sometimes come in with a sad face and have problems, but by the time they leave, they have a smile on their face.
“When other businesses have left the high street, we were people’s consistency.
“We’re like a social hub, we like to see our regulars and chat to them and listen to their problems.”
Over the last 41 years, Mr Willoughby has been credited with starting the careers of numerous paper boys and girls across Northallerton, which he says feels “rewarding”.
“You’re giving someone a start on the career ladder,” he added.
“It’s giving young people skills and a start in life, and it’s always nice to see young people want to get into work and get a job.”
Now that Mr Willoughby has decided to step away from Mitchells and sell the building, he says that he’s happy that he can now do whatever he wants in retirement.
“I haven’t fully thought about what I want to do because the newsagents has been such a big part of my life, but it’ll be nice that I can just do what I want to do and spend time with family,” he said.
“I’ve been overwhelmed by the amount of messages and kind words from people since I announced I’d be retiring.
“It’s an emotional time. I think it will finally sink in and hit on the final day when we close up for the final time.”
Mr Willoughby credits his staff for the longevity of the shop and says that without them, he’d be lost.
“I wouldn’t be able to do it without them over the years. Some staff have been here a very long time, too, and I can’t thank my staff enough,” he said.
“It’s been a blast.”
Even though the shop closes on March 28, the last day of delivery for newspapers will be Saturday, February 28.
Mr Willoughby has managed to reach out to the newspaper delivery company NewsTeam, who will continue the delivery service as normal.