[It’s a deal! B&NES Council Leader, Cllr Kevin Guy welcomes Morley’s Chief Executive, Allan Winstanley to Milsom Street]
And now it can be told! The future of Jolly’s has been secured.
Council leaders today welcomed the announcement by department store group Morleys Stores Ltd that it will reopen the historic store in Milsom Street and keep its name.
Bath & North East Somerset Council has been working hard to secure its future and over the past 18 months has been in talks with Morleys to bring them to Bath.
Councillor Kevin Guy, Bath & North East Somerset Council leader, said: “Morleys Stores will bring an exciting shopping experience to residents and visitors alike and I am delighted to welcome the business to our vibrant city and to one of the most loved stores in Bath.
“Milsom Street has always been a very special shopping destination and Morleys Stores is a fantastic fit for the area.
Morley’s decision complements the investment the council is making in the Milsom Quarter. The council has been working hard over the past 18 months to secure the future of this flagship store and a significant element of the plan is to make it once again the anchor store for Milsom Street.”
Morleys Department Stores is renowned for its exceptional customer service and diverse range of high-quality products, offering a wide selection of fashion, beauty, homeware, and more.
The new store aims to cater to the needs of the local community while also attracting shoppers from surrounding areas.
Councillor Mark Elliott, cabinet member for Resources, added: “We set out the council’s commitment to the local economy in our ten-year Economic Strategy and this investment is a very positive recognition of the great retail offer our city has and the work the council has undertaken to support it. I join others in welcoming Morleys Stores to Bath.”
Allan Winstanley, Chief Executive of Morleys Department Stores, said: “We are thrilled to start preparations to open up in Jolly’s and restore this heritage store to its former glory for Bath. Our business treats all our stores as unique independent stores, designed to serve their local community with curated and considered product collections and store experiences.
We will strive to provide an outstanding shopping experience for the community of Bath and its visitors and I’m sure people will be pleased to know we are keeping the name Jolly’s.”
A programme of work is currently underway on the building which is owned by the council.
Due to restorative works to the building being essential, Morleys Department Stores aims to open in Jolly’s in spring 2026.
Follow Jolly’s Bath at https://instagram.com/jollysbath and https://facebook.com/jollysbath
Morleys Stores is a department store group of 8 stores; Elys in Wimbledon, Pearsons in Enfield, Camp Hopson in Newbury, Roomes Fashion & Home in Upminster, Selbys in Holloway, Morleys in Brixton, Morleys in Bexleyheath and Morleys in Tooting.
Morleys has been independently owned since its establishment in 1927 and is known for its commitment to exceptional customer service and offers a unique shopping experience with diverse collections of fashion, beauty, home, furniture and more.
Morleys Stores is dedicated to fostering long-term relationships with customers, employees, and local communities. By continually adapting to the changing retail landscape, Morleys remains a cornerstone of the communities it serves and a place where people can always find quality and value.
Interviews coming up with Allan Winstanley the Chief Executive of Morleys Department Stores, and Cllr Mark Elliott, Cabinet member for Resources, who led the negotiations for B&NES.
Sorry, the sound level on one of the mikes is so low!!
Morleys are going to use one unit of the Jollys store to open a sort of ‘heritage centre’ to let people know what is happening over the next year.
It will be telling the history of Jollys and introducing people to Morleys Stores. It will be operated by the new store’s General Manager, Jess Merritt-Johns.
Today’s announcement has also been welcomed by Bath BID – Business Improvement District – who issued the following statement:
“Following today’s exciting announcement, the Bath BID is delighted to welcome the brilliant news that Morleys are taking on the lease of Jollys after the closure of the House of Fraser store. Morleys is an independent department store which will continue the building’s role in Bath’s shopping landscape.
Bath is undergoing a very positive period on the high street, with retail vacancies low and long empty properties being extensively refurbished and brought back into use. The recent arrival of Sosander, the huge new experimental toy store My Small World, and a larger Pandora store, were proceeded by Zara, Mint Velvet, Monica Vinader, Albaray and Piglet in Bed on New Bond Street.
Alongside these, the perhaps more typical new hospitality openings of Beefy Boys, Bardacious, Eat a Pitta, Brasserie Beau and the Green Street Wine Bar show strong investor confidence. There are definitely changes afoot – who could have foreseen that a new ToniqLife Gym would open in the old Moles building? But the market is demanding new experiences and Bath is delivering.
Iain Nicholson of the Vacant Shops Academy, expert advisor to high streets throughout the UK commented on the Jollys news:
“In our work helping places to tackle vacancy on their high streets, we see many struggles with large former department or big brand stores and ex-bank units, especially where they are heritage buildings. Even in a historic city like Bath with a strong retail and hospitality offer, finding a new occupier keen to invest in a large heritage building has significant challenges. So this investment is a real positive for the city, its residents and existing businesses, and an example other tackling vacancy-focused ‘place partnerships’ will be watching closely.”
So why are investors feeling confident? The footfall recovery in Bath now takes us above pre-Covid levels which is supported by the diverse offer. Home to the inspiring architecture, world-class sporting events (by the way, congratulations to Bath Rugby on winning the Premiership Cup this weekend), the impressive array of events and festivals (book your tickets now for Curious Minds and the 7 Hills Music Festival over the next few days) and a strong and exciting blend of independents and favourite retailers. Our Debenhams store will have a new tenant over the next few months, we are anticipating a new Fashion Museum in the heart of the city centre and now the signature retail experience that is Jollys of Milsom Street is conserved and will be regenerated.
But none of the work will drive footfall unless the story is shared. The BID with our Welcome to Bath brand works closely with Visit West, one of the first Local Visitor Economy Partnerships (LVEPs) in the country. The team at Visit West is keeping Bath’s profile alive in the minds of tour operators and international visitors ensuring a steady stream of overnight visitors to fill the hotels and achieve the retail footfall that the population of the area alone could not possibly muster and ensuring that Bath maintains its popularity in an increasingly competitive market.
Here at the Bath BID, we are proud to do our part. The footfall measurement which we provide is a brilliant tool to engage potential investors and agents, and the work of our team of marshals and rangers ensures that the city is a safe, clean and welcoming place to do business. This year, the BID is also representing the entire South West BID region at the Britain in Bloom competition, hot on the heels of the city category win achieved by the Bath in Bloom volunteer team in 2024.
Today’s news is a significant marker of confidence in the city of Bath, of both Morleys and B&NES Council who will be putting in major investment in the challenging roof of the building and its 40 pitches. If you haven’t visited Bath recently, it is a good moment to come and see the new openings and revisit your old favourites.”
This is a fabulous piece of news. Having shopped in Ely’s of Wimbledon, which is part of the Morley’s group, I know that they can do a fabulous job and they will really reinvigorate Milsom Street. This is what I have been wishing for.
But we need to support them by shopping there too!
Well congratulations to the Council and all who put the deal together so quickly. Given department stores seem to be out of fashion these days I was fearful that the old Jolly’s would be empty and derelict for some time.
The mirror in our lounge was bought from Camp Hopson when our son lived in Newbury when working for Vodaphone. A shop we enjoyed visiting on our trips to Newbury.
Great news. But what is going to happen to the M&S shop when it moves to the dead Debenhams? Can we have a Harrods or a Liberty as well?
Prefer Fortnum & Masons myself – if only for the Christmas Hampers…. But moving way, way down market why not John Lewis – if they simultaneously close the Cribbs Causeway outlet one in Bath could trade well.
Brilliant news for Bath; I wish them well. Bath without Jollys? It’s unthinkable: like Fred without Ginger; Morecambe without Wise; Tears without Fears!