Southampton’s Hollywood Just For Fun, a fancy dress shop trading since 1974, closed its doors on 15 November after more than 50 years, with manager Sam Kerr citing rising shoplifting alongside increasing running costs.
Kerr, who has managed the Southampton branch since 2012, said persistent shoplifting had left offenders feeling they could take stock because “nothing gets done,” and described one incident where someone tried to snatch the till. She said the combination of crime and the rising cost of running the business had made it unsustainable to continue trading, despite the shop being a long-standing resource for school events, parties and general fancy dress needs.
The closure comes as Hampshire and Isle of Wight Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones launches a new rehabilitation project targeting prolific shoplifters in Southampton. The £30,000, one-year pilot follows a successful trial in Portsmouth that cut shoplifting and drug misuse among participants, and will involve The Society of St James, Go! Southampton and Southampton City Council. Kerr welcomed the initiative and said she hoped it would extend citywide.
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Source: BBC.
