A new owner takes on homeware ‘institution’

Popular homeware store, Millers, has been taken over by a new owner who plans to maintain the quality and trust for which the shop is well-known.

Rachel Clow recently purchased Millers, taking over the shop, which is based in the Westway precinct, from former owner Richard Macey, who has retired.

The shop is known as an ‘institution’ in Frome and has been in the town since 1908. “I actually saw the advert to buy the shop in the Frome Times,” says Rachel. “I then saw all the comments people were leaving about the shop and I thought it was a real shame if we were to lose it, so that was one of the main motivators.

“I plan to continue in the same vein and support as many local customers as we can with everyday purchasing and homeware needs.”

Rachel says she hopes to develop some aspects of Millers to provide additional services that meet people’s needs, including developing the website to enable a click-and-collect function as well as online purchasing. “I would like to maybe try and digitise the business slightly but also support the other local businesses across Frome and drive footfall to ensure that all the businesses that operate here have a thriving community.”

Hoping the shop will continue to be somewhere that customers depend on, Rachel said, “It’s about offering great value while being trusted. We have been around since 1908; hopefully we are trusted, we are well-known by the local community, particularly in the world today where there are a lot of online businesses that are set up and then disappear and don’t provide good-quality products. For us, it’s all about quality and trust.”

With a team of 13, Millers is open Monday to Saturday 9am to 5pm and also opens for the Independent Market Sundays, which run on the first Sunday of each month. The shop will also be open on Sunday 15th and 22nd December in the run-up to Christmas. 

Pictured: L-R Owner Rachel Clow with staff Lyn Barraclough, Julia Wisbey, Providenza Angel, Andy Brittain and Jayne Joyce