Customers devastated as Kall Couture kicked out of dream Rainhill shop

Previously working as a lecturer at Riverside College in Widnes, Karen Power followed her passion to open the ladies clothing shop 'Kall Couture' in Rainhill in 2016.

The business, located on Warrington Road next to Dane Court, sells a variety of clothes, outfits, shoes, and accessories, and has built a cherished reputation in Rainhill over the past eight years.

Karen, also known as Kall, has also spent a considerable sum refurbishing the shop after subletting the property from the neighbouring Carl Keith salon.

However, after the salon fell into liquidation last year, this has now had repercussions on Karen's business after the building's landlord closed her shop and has not allowed her to return.

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Kall Couture sells a variety of women's clothes, shoes, and accessories (Image: Kall Couture)
After 44 years serving the people of Rainhill, Carl Keith announced the closure of the salon on social media in October, citing covid-enforced closures and rising overheads as reasons why the business was "no longer economically sustainable".

Although Karen knew about her neighbouring business' closure, she was allowed to keep trading while paying rent, and was not aware of any issue until the abrupt shutdown in late January.

It is understood that the decision to close Kall's shop was made by the private landlord who owns the building.

Although the landlord had leased the building to the Co-op, because the supermarket chain used to occupy space there, its contract with Carl Keith did not allow the salon to sublet and separate the property.

The business has been selling clothes for eight years in Rainhill (Image: Kall Couture)
After bailiffs changed the locks on the property in late January, Kall was forced to pay to re-enter the property and retrieve her stock, which she has since been selling online to continue making some sort of living.

The business owner has also been unable to find another shop at an affordable price, and although she has attempted to reapply and sublet the Warrington Road property, she said there has been limited communication in regard to this.

One of Kall's regular customers, who preferred to remain anonymous, explained her situation to the Star and the devastation that this has caused the business owner and her customers.

Many of Kall's customers became friends with the business owner (Image: Kall Couture)
Kall's customer said: "Everyone who knows Kall knows that it was her absolute dream to open her shop, she even took voluntary redundancy from the college so that she could go for it.

"Almost all of her customers have become her friends and she is so loved in Rainhill, she really does have a heart of gold.

"It's a real loss for the community and I think that it's disgraceful that she has lost her livelihood through no fault of her own, at a business which she started from scratch."

Carl Keith salon closed in October 2023 after 44 years in Rainhill (Image: Google Maps)
Explaining the situation from the Co-op's perspective, a spokesperson for the company said: "The Co-op does not own this building and although it leases the premises, its lease does not allow the ground floor to be split into separate units.

"However, Carl Keith Salons' sub-let the property without permission or consent and Co-op had to take steps to avoid breaching the terms of its lease.

"Kall Couture has been made aware that Co-op is unable to allow occupation on a lease direct from itself, and Kall Couture was unable to provide evidence of a formal tenancy agreement when asked."

Kall Couture said that its lease was signed by a solicitor in Rainhill, with a verbal agreement made with Carl Keith.

The business owner stated that the Co-op was aware of the sublet following a written report by the building’s property management company.

Another verbal agreement is reported to have been made with this company, Carter Towler, which was asked to be put into writing, but did not materialise.