A Teddington children’s shop will be shutting its doors after 25 years following five years of struggle against online retailers and chains.

FROM FEBRUARY 2015: Rental increases could be forcing independents from our towns

Caroline Cafterton opened Teds in 1990 after giving up a job in reprographic sales in order to be closer to her family.

She said: “This place has changed so much- when we started it was all independents of course.

“There weren’t a lot of places you could buy children’s clothes then.”

Business had generally been good for Ms Cafterton but in the past few years, with the rise of online shopping and rent on Teddington high street, things have gone steadily downhill.

She said: “This is not a premium shopping area but the rents and rates keep going up and up and up.

“We tried to get the freehold over the years but couldn’t and at this stage we’ve probably paid for it three times over.”

As overheads continue to increase in price, footfall continues to decline.

Ms Cafterton added: “You have to pay for an alarm system, insurance and wages.

I haven’t paid myself in three years. You also have to compete with charity shops that don’t pay anywhere near the same rates.”

She said she had no “gripe” at all with the people and what it boils down to is choice.

“People are sitting down at their computers now and ordering online.

“It’s sad because I’ve been here for 25 years and get nothing at the end of it.

“You don’t get a gold watch and a pension. I should have let it go eight years ago but I didn’t want to.”

Richmond Council’s cabinet member for business, Pamela Fleming, said she was deeply sympathetic but unfortunately had little power to help.

Coun Fleming said: “I'm deeply sympathetic because we want to encourage more independent retailers but the Council doesn't have the power to intervene in how much landlords charge for rent.

I'm really sorry to hear that a shop that has been there for so long is closing.

I think, though, in some cases the shops that are closing down are being replaced with other independent retailers.

The real pleasure for Ms Cafterton throughout the last 25 years has been the social interaction that comes with owning an independent shop, especially Lillian who has worked at Teds for 23 years.

“We’ve made so many friends, we’ve been councillors and social workers and we’ve touched a lot of lives.”

Teds will close indefinitely on January 30.