Bury St Edmunds clothes shop reopens ‘lighter and brighter’ than ever

A ‘brighter and lighter’ store awaits shoppers at East, Bury St Edmunds.

The women’s clothing retailer in the Buttermarket closed at the start of March for a complete makeover, the first in its 13-year history.

It was reopened today by the Deputy Mayor of St Edmundsbury, Cllr Terry Clements, after which it its first eight customers were rewarded with goodie bags containing a free shibori-dyed silk scarf as well as items from the town’s Perfume Shop and Body Shop.

East’s collections are inspired by Eastern designs, with many of its lines sourced from Anokhi based in Jaipur, India, and Fabindia based in New Delhi, India, and this is reflected in some of its newly chosen decor.

Laura Harlow, the store’s deputy manager, said: “This makeover has involved everything. We’ve had the floor stripped and polished, all the walls beautifully washed, we’ve put in stunning new fixtures, a lovely Indian trunk and the desk is made out of reclaimed Indian antique.”

She added: “It’s brilliant because it was worn out before and really needed a good lift, and now we’ve got that.

“We’ve got bright colours on the door so we stand out better and it’s just a lot brighter and lighter, which is great.”

Cllr Clements, who cut a ribbon to officially reopen the store, said: “It’s great to be at this opening and I’m sure it will benefit this vibrant town where things are really moving forward. I would encourage more people to come here.”