Wilmer's Closure

Willmer’s Electrical Store set to close after 150 years on Pulborough high street

A mainstay of Pulborough’s Lower Street, Willmer’s Electrical Store is preparing to close for the final time after 150 years of trading.

Founded in 1876 as a musical warehouse by the grandfather of the current owner, the family business changed after the Second World War into an electrical, radio and television retailer, using the founder’s son’s wartime experience with radar to embrace the new age of home electrics.

Today, Willmer’s is known as a “one stop shop” for all things electrical including domestic appliances and televisions, offering delivery, installation, demonstration and disposal, alongside repairs and servicing through its in‑house team and local specialists.

Bucking the trend towards online retail and the declining footfall on traditional high streets, the store’s closure is not being driven primarily by economics but by the owner’s decision to retire. An architect by profession, Phillip Willmer came out of retirement in 2020 to steer the shop through the coronavirus pandemic.

Now, he is stepping back again—this time permanently. He said: “It’s been a privilege to keep Willmer’s going for as long as I have. This shop has been part of my family for generations, and part of Pulborough’s story too. Closing the doors is bittersweet, but it feels like the right moment to retire.”

Customers have responded with affection and nostalgia and described Willmer’s as their trusted source for white goods and televisions, where “everything was no trouble at all.”

Customer Sharon Curd said: “I’ll remain forever grateful to Willmer’s. During lockdown my fridge stopped working and needed replacing. I called Willmer’s and they sold me one over the phone plus delivered it the same day. Always great service with helpful advice. They will be missed.”

Willmer’s of Pulborough, trading from 64 Lower Street, closed on Wednesday 1 July, marking the end of a much‑loved chapter in the village’s retail history.