Tesco Kills Local Photographic Shop!

John Downing's Royston Photographic in Royston High Street is to close after 17 years, and he's blaming Tesco. John was sub-letting his premises from a firm that has now gone into liquidation and he must move. But with his turnover decimated since North Herts. District Council let Tesco move into the town, John has decided to throw in the towel. www.photomart.co.uk's Managing Director, Lewis Martindale, has known John for about nine years. "I'm very sorry to see him go", Lewis says. "He is one of my oldest customers and a very good friend to the company. Regularly he would call my sales guys or our marketing staff and clue them in on issues affecting the independent trade. He was a great source of grassroots opinion for us. Unfortunately, if the market got tougher it was always going to be difficult for him in that premises he wasn't allowed to improve. I'm very sad to see him go. I wish him all the best for the future."