From survival to stardom: How our Birmingham hardware store York Supplies bounced back from near-closure

Kings Heath’s Yorks Supplies appears in a new BT film, helping to encourage fellow small businesses to go digital to safeguard their traditions.

Founded in 1947, the hardware store faced an uncertain future after its long-term owners Jon and Jean Jaffa announced their plans to retire in 2022.

However, this spurred residents and local businesses to rally round to ensure its survival, forming a co-operative that now runs the store.

As part of the campaign BT is also working with Will Kirk, star of BBC’s The Repair Shop and ambassador of the UK charity Heritage Crafts.

In Birmingham, going digital has helped York Supplies hardware store to continue to deliver on its promise to be an extension of locals’ sheds – as it has since 1947 – even through tough times in retail.

When the previous owner retired in 2022, residents and neighbouring businesses rallied round to fundraise to ensure its survival, forming a co-operative that now owns the store.

The buyout also led to a full technology makeover, enabling York Supplies to face the future with confidence. The business is now fully digital, equipped with fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) broadband, tablets and modern point-of-sale systems to help its staff streamline orders, expand product offerings, and liaise with customers online. Once a “hidden gem”, York Supplies now has about 2,000 social media followers and is planning to expand its product range.

Richard Bickle, director of York Supplies Community Society, said: “Our business has been around since before fax machines, during which time it’s become a huge part of the local community, with generations of customers coming through our door.

“When we purchased the shop we inherited a long-standing relationship with BT, but the infrastructure needed an upgrade so we could adopt new technologies to grow and market the business.

“Making the switch to digital has been so easy, with BT engineers explaining and installing everything for us. Our new system quietly supports the business as we venture into social media, and online ordering systems, all to help our heritage business to continue thriving in the 21stcentury.”