About Us
PRESS RELEASE SATURDAY 28TH SEPTEMBER 2024
The end of an era. Historic family run Bury St Edmunds jewellers and photographic retailers closes after 150 years
It is with deep gratitude and a heavy heart that Sneezums, a cornerstone of the local community for 150 years, closes its doors today, Saturday 28th September. Situated on the Cornhill and in Central Walk, Bury St Edmunds, Sneezums announced, in June, the forthcoming closure of the high street store. The decision comes as partners Elizabeth Sneezum and Yvonne Scotford-Sneezum prepare to retire.
Since 1874, Sneezums has proudly served Suffolk, offering a large range of high-quality products and a personalised service that have defined its name. Generations of local families have shopped with the family business over the years.
Founded by Henry Sneezum in 1874, Sneezums has been passed down through four generations of the Sneezum family, remaining dedicated to the one core value of ‘family comes first’, including their staff. The business has faced many challenges over the years, from changes in the economy, the war eras and to evolving industry trends. The dedication of its team, support from suppliers, continual diversification and the loyalty of its customers and community has kept Sneezums thriving through it all. Today’s closure marks the end of an era, but also celebrates the legacy of a trusted local business that will forever be remembered as part of the fabric of the community.
Sneezums staff have regularly commented throughout the years that Sneezums are different to other employers and that is shown in the loyalty of those staff, many of whom have become extended family. Their current longest standing staff member has been with them for 48 years and over the course of their history, their longest serving staff member was with Sneezums for 63 years, both starting with them after school and spending their entire careers at Sneezums.
Elizabeth and Yvonne celebrated the Sneezums end of an era with all their extended family and their staff at the Farmers Club in Bury St Edmunds, where they shared memories together.
“It’s extremely sad to close our doors after so many wonderful years,” said Elizabeth and Yvonne, who are the fourth generation and current owners. “We are very proud of our ancestors for giving us the opportunity to take on such a business and are proud of ourselves for thriving through some very difficult times for the retail industry. We have been incredibly fortunate to serve this community, and we are immensely grateful to everyone who has supported us through the years. This decision was not made lightly, it is a very sad day in many respects and we will miss shop-life, but we feel it is the right time for us to retire and we are very much looking forward to fully embracing the joy of spending much needed time with our families.”
“We want to express our deepest thanks to our loyal customers,” Elizabeth and Yvonne added. “We have cherished every moment of serving you, and we are humbled by the trust and friendship you’ve shown us. Our employees, past and present, have been the heart and soul of our business, and we couldn’t have done it without their hard work and dedication. Finally, we would like to thank our own families for their continual support and encouragement over many years and particularly the emotional support in the lead up to our closure.”
Whilst the doors may close on the Sneezums business, the memories, relationships, and contributions to the community will remain. Elizabeth, Yvonne and their extended families encourage all those who have been a part of the Sneezums journey to stop by one last time to share stories and celebrate Sneezums incredible 150 year legacy. Their facebook page will remain open in the hope that more memories will be shared.
The majority of their stock has now been sold and their online business will continue to operate for up to three months. In addition, Sneezums will be opening on various selected days to sell their mahogany showcases, book cases, office furniture, stationary and a broad selection of vintage items. Sneezums will be announcing the dates on their shop windows, on social media and via email as soon as possible. Sneezums have a ‘Memories and Messages’ book which will continue to be available for customers to write in on these open days.
Elizabeth and Yvonne said, “We've been overwhelmed by the immense support we've had from our staff, family, customers, suppliers and the local community and would like to thank everyone once again from the bottom of our hearts who has played a part in making our Sneezums family business such a success for 150 years. It is the end of an era.”
PRESS RELEASE 25th JUNE 2024
The end of an era. Historic family run Bury St Edmunds jewellers and photographic retailers to close after 150 years
Successful Sneezums Jewellers and Photographic Retailers, established by the Sneezum family in Ipswich in 1874, is to shut its doors for the final time later this year after 150 years of trading.
Situated on the Cornhill and in Central Walk, Bury St Edmunds, Sneezums has announced the forthcoming closure of the high street store. The decision comes as partners Elizabeth Sneezum and Yvonne Scotford-Sneezum prepare to retire. The business will close the store on 28th September 2024 with the online business continuing to operate for up to three months.
Current fourth generation Sneezum owners, Elizabeth and Yvonne, said “It is with heavy hearts that we announce the closure of our family business. Unfortunately, we do not have anyone in the family to continue our legacy. Our decision was not made lightly and after much consideration and reflection we have decided to retire to spend precious quality time with our families and pursue other interests.”
The Sneezums business is steeped in rich history. Originally established in 1874 on Fore Street in Ipswich by Elizabeth and Yvonne’s great-grandfather, Henry Sneezum, the business began as a jeweller, pawnbroker, and clothier.
In the early 1900s under the second generation owners, Henry and Ray Sneezum, 14-20 Fore Street became H&R Sneezum and expanded its services to encompass gold and silver refining, bullion dealing and gunsmithing in addition to selling a diverse array of goods including; jewellery, photographic equipment, fireworks, tools, clothing and sports and musical equipment. During the war years and the gold rush, the business smelted gold and sent daily deliveries of the smelt to London by train.
The business expanded over the coming years to a total of ten shops located in Ipswich, Rayleigh, Thetford and Bury St Edmunds involving third-generation family partners Neville, Derrick, and Aubrey, who was Elizabeth and Yvonne’s father.
The Walter Sneezum shop at 5 St John’s Street Bury St Edmunds, originally owned by Walter Sneezum from around 1890, was taken over by second generation owner Henry Sneezum (grandfather to Elizabeth and Yvonne) and Richard and Ray Sneezum, Henry’s brothers, in 1946.
The Sneezums business on the Cornhill in Bury St Edmunds was purchased in 1951, originally trading as W J Cook & Son, as a picture frame maker, china, glass and fancy goods merchant. The business grew during the 1950’s to also become a photographic retailer.
The building on Cornhill was redeveloped in the mid to late 1960’s and was reopened in 1971 by Clive Dunn from Dad’s Army. On reopening in 1971 on the Cornhill, Sneezums expanded with selling jewellery, watches, gifts, binoculars, telescopes, televisions, hi-fi, telephones and even a record department. In 2008 Sneezums closed for several weeks, undergoing a full major refurbishment.
Elizabeth and Yvonne expressed their gratitude, stating,
“For generations, we have had the privilege of being at the heart of the Bury St Edmund’s community. Over the 150 years of trading, our business has evolved to be more than a commercial venture; it has become a cornerstone of our family’s heritage and a cherished part of our lives. Our dedicated staff and customers have played a pivotal role in our journey. We extend our heartfelt appreciation to our exceptionally loyal staff, many of whom have dedicated over 20 years to Sneezums and some who have spent their entire working lives with us, including our longest-serving current member with 48 years. With seven current valued members on our team, we are eternally grateful for their unwavering loyalty. Alongside the loyalty and dedication of our customers, this has been instrumental in allowing Sneezums to thrive for 150 years over four generations.”
They added, “It will be a very sad and emotional day when we bid farewell to our family business. We take pride in knowing we are one of the oldest remaining independent family businesses in Bury St Edmunds. As we embark on our final months of trading, we treasure the countless memories that have enriched our journey.”
The high street store will close on 28th September 2024, whilst their online shop will continue for up to 3 months following on from that date.