Fashion icon Triads blames drop in footfall as it bids farewell to Middlesbrough

It’s the end of an era for fashion brand Triads as it gears up to leave Middlesbrough.

The high end clothing shop had been established in the town since 1988 – but now says a drop in footfall and customers complaining of parking charges, is part of the reason to move. But, thankfully the company, which sells some of the popular designer names, will be staying on Teesside and opening a new store in Yarm.

Triads is taking over the former home decor shop, Bauer at Home, on Yarm’s High Street. They hope to be up and running there in July.

Abigail Donaldson, the managing director of Triads Clothing Ltd, recently finished her Business Fashion Degree at Teesside University and has some exciting new ideas for the future of the business. She said: “Middlesbrough has been good to us over the years and we still want to stay in Teesside.

“However Middlesbrough was not getting the footfall it used to, we have a lot of regular customers, but after speaking to them it’s become a struggle to find a place to park and unfortunately there isn’t enough incentive to come to Middlesbrough for clothes anymore.

“That being said, the new store in Yarm will be a new venture for us and an exciting one for our current clientele. With a range of successful independent shops on Yarm High Street we believe Triads Clothing will fit into the High Street perfectly.

“On top of this Yarm offers free parking up to an hour of stay on the high street which is ideal for our customers.

“We are looking forward to bringing fashion back to Teesside. Triads are known for selling limited stock and exclusive pieces and we’d like to bring that back for our customers after the decline during lockdown.”

Triads, on Albert Road, has been one of Middlesbrough’s coolest shops for decades, but went on the market last year.

It opened in 1988, quickly building a reputation across the North for “quirky, cutting-edge” clothes. In 2022 The Sunday Times branded the retailer a fashion ‘local hero’. Brands from Stone Island and Vivienne Westwood to Paul Smith, Stussy, Y-3 and Hugo Boss grace the rails.

Garry Donaldson opened Triads after developing a love of fashion from watching punk bands, up and down the country. He ran Triads with his brother Colin. But with the growth in online shopping and huge chains, the family saw stark changes since the glory days of the nineties and noughties.