Shoppers have voiced their sadness as a popular newsagent announced her retirement after more than 25 years. Ruby Thiara, 61, has served the community for 26 years from Ruby News in Loughborough Road, West Bridgford.
Ruby, 61, has owned a series of different newsagents in various parts of Nottingham including in Sherwood, Lower Parliament street and also Clifton. She opened the West Bridgford location in 1996.
Ruby said: "I was ready to retire. I had been working seven days a week in this shop for 26 years so I wanted to semi-retire. Most of the time, I open the store myself at 5am.
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"The customers are really lovely and it's been good going. I will miss the people most of all because it becomes like a big family to you. You see the customers everyday and they become part of your family."
She added: "We've had a lot of interest in the store. It's a beautiful area and you feel really safe here."
Ruby is proud that some of the paperboys she employed in the past have called into the store to say hello - now in their 40s. She also recalled serving the striking miners during the 1980s in her store in Sherwood and Lower Parliament street.
The high street has experienced a lot of difficulty over the past few months between the competition posed by Covid, lockdowns and the threat of big business. There are large stores such as Asda located nearby which have an effect on smaller businesses.
Ruby explained the internet has made a big difference to her turnover. The nearby fish and chip shop has recently announced that it is now up for sale. The Words Fish Bar and Kebabs has been placed on the market for £249,950.
The bank HSBC has also announced they will be closing their branch close by to the store.
"As a newspaper shop, we have struggled because of the internet," Ruby added. "There are less and less people buying magazines and newspapers. We used to sell over 200 copies but now we sell about 90," she explained.
The store will be kept on as a newsagent despite changing hands and Ruby is determined to stay local. She has issued a thank you message to her customers for visiting the business for so many years.
Howell and Maureen Price who are local to the area rely of the newsagent said they will be sorry to see Ruby retire.
"We've known for Ruby for 25 years. We use the newsagent and fish shop ourselves. We will be sorry to see them go if they become something else.
"They are our nearest are both very good. Ruby's news has been excellent as we get our papers delivered there and they always arrive on time. It makes a very big difference having these nearby as we can walk to them."
