Popular Bristol lifestyle store closes its doors suddenly due to ‘ever-rising costs’

A popular Bristol plants and lifestyle business has shut its stores suddenly, with its owner pointing to ‘rising costs’ as one of the reasons behind the closures.

Mila, which sold a range of house plants, homewares and lifestyle products, had stores in Cabot Circus, Park Street and a concession at Sparks, the independent store within the old Marks & Spencer store in Broadmead.

The Cabot Circus store closed last month after just six months but last weekend saw the Park Street shop close and also the Mila concession at the Sparks store. The ‘ethical gift shop’ at Sparks, which is not run by Mila, will remain open.

The stores had closing down sales including the sale of fixtures and fittings and Mila posted on social media that ‘our stores are now closed. Our team is done. The tills cashed up and the lights switched off.’

Posting on Facebook, owner Sam McKay said the business, which started out in local markets three years ago and was a ‘proud LGBTQA+ business’, had been ‘anything but easy’.

He said: “I created a beautiful business that became something so special but the last three years have been anything but easy.

“You’ve no doubt seen that the indie business scene/high street is haemorrhaging businesses at the moment. In Bristol we have seen some incredible players lost. It’s s***, it really is.

“I’ve battled for months. I haven’t slept. I haven’t paid myself. Instead, I’ve dealt with energy companies hiking their prices, shopping centres making empty promises and ever-rising costs across the board.

“And I’ve battled on because of the people within my business, both staff and customers. My team are the most wonderful people you could ever hope to meet.”