Bourne couple who have been running Two-Jays in The Burghley Centre announce their retirement

A couple who have been trading in a town for 27 years are shutting up shop later this year.

John Sanders opened Two-Jays discount store in The Burghley Centre in Bourne after moving to the town from Hemel Hempstead with his family in the mid-1990s.

John’s father helped to give the business its quirky title - they not only shared the same initial, but also the same first name.

The older John worked right up until the end of his life, shortly before the covid pandemic.

His son and daughter-in-law, Loraine, continued to run the business, helping it to survive lockdowns and thrive despite competition from a number of new shops.

While they thoroughly enjoyed running the business, they are planning retirement - albeit John hasn’t ruled out opening a smaller store.

“We’ve reached retirement age and the overheads at the shop have become quite expensive,” said John (65).

“Things are tight for everyone but for us it just works out too expensive. However, we have really enjoyed our time here because of the people we get to talk to each day. We have met some cracking people over the years and for me, it’s my social life.”

Loraine added: “People who come in now with their children used to be brought in to the shop as children themselves, which is lovely.”

John and Loraine have three children - the youngest is 41 - but none wanted to follow them into the retail business. Two-Jays is due to close in October. It’s not yet known what will be opening at Unit 19 of The Burghley Centre.