News / gloucester road
Much-loved shop on Gloucester Road to close
After 25 years, a staple of Gloucester Road is closing its shutters for a final time. Terrii Telfer, the owner of fairtrade store Katze, is retiring at the end of March.
The shop started in St Nicholas Market in 1980, selling second hand clothes, before expanding into fairtrade clothing in 1983, and moving to Gloucester Road ten years after that. The shop has a dedicated following in the city, and regular customers have been shocked at the closure, having never known a life in Bristol without Katze.
When asked why the store is closing down, Terrii says: “It’s a culmination of the last five years, retirement is only one of the reasons.
is needed now More than ever
“The advent of the web has led to poor footfall, and three of my big suppliers have closed. Governments have different policies now, countries are isolated and insular.
“Obviously, Brexit has an impact, but so have global disasters and climate change. A whole village in Nepal that made fairtrade clothes for us was wiped out in the 2015 earthquake. We’re victims of circumstance.”
Some of the trinkets available to buy at Katze
But Terrii laughs when she says that people keep asking what’s happening with all of the store’s products. “We’re selling it,” she says, “people are still buying the stuff! They’re anticipating their future needs and buying their earrings and other bits now. They know I have always stood for quality.”
As well as standing for quality, Terrii and the store have always stood against plastic, trends and fast-fashion. “People should wear. what makes them comfortable and happy and not be dictated to,” she says.
Katze is closing at the end of March
Over the last 30 years, Katze has achieved a lot, including the development Glastonbury Festival. Terrii was a trader and sold tickets until 2005, until online ticket sales took over.
Terrii assures Bristol24/7 that she will be staying in Bristol and will be writing a book about the shop. When asked about the best parts of the city, she instantly says the music. “It’s hard to choose my favourite band, but I’d have to say Massive Attack. I’d have to say TRiBE of FRoG too, as I was a founding member.”
As for any final thoughts, Terrii is looking to the future, saying: “I will miss the people, but I’ve got to look forward to the next thing. Life keeps on evolving.”
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