The Sidney Street store was named after one of Cambridge’s top cricketers
16:06, 05 Jun 2017Updated 17:35, 05 Jun 2017
Cambridge United’s Luke Berry and Ryan Donaldson outside Hobbs Intersport in 2015
After 86 years, Cambridge’s biggest independent sports shop is closing its doors.
Hobbs Intersport on Sidney Street will switch to an online-only setup after facing “rising costs of operating a business on the High Street”.
The shop first opened back in 1931 on Trinity Street by Sidney Hobbs, who was the younger brother of Sir John “Jack” Hobbs – one of the greatest cricketers ever from Cambridge.
Sir Jack still holds records as the top run-scorer and century-maker in first-class cricket, with an incredible 61,760 runs and 199 centuries. He was knighted in 1953.
Hobbs stayed a family-run business until it was bought by Jarrold of Norwich in 2015.
A message posted on their website said: “With the rising costs of operating a business on the high street, we have decided to close our Cambridge store and move the business online.
“We will be offering free postage on returns and exchanges via our website on all purchases made in store for a period of 28 days after we close. Your statutory rights will not be affected.
“Our Norwich branch – Pilch Sport is unaffected and will continue to support hobbssports. co. uk”
The shop plans to shut later this summer following a closing down sale starting this week.
Other Cambridge shops that have closed recently
It’s no surprise that many stores are shutting because prices here keep going up.
For example, The Cambridge Toy Shop, which operated for twelve years on Sussex Street, had to close at the end of last year because of “high rent, parking charges and stiff online competition”.
The Cambridge Toy Shop in Sussex Street closed at the end of last year
Earlier last year another toy shop called When I Was A Kid on Trinity Street also said goodbye after two years due to changes with online shopping habits and pricey rents.
Owner Paul Warner told us: “Our magical toy shop can no longer survive in the city that Cambridge has become. It really is a sad day, not just for us but for Cambridge too if a shop like ours can’t survive.”
In January Ben Hayward Cycles shut down after being around for 117 years while Arthur Shepherd clothing store ended its run after 115 years on Trumpington Street.>
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