St Helens: Slinns Wallpaper and Paints set for relocation

Launched way back in 1869, Slinn's developed from delivering a range of goods until it eventually focused on selling wallpaper and paints in 1909.

Passing through the Slinn's family, the business became one of the town's primary suppliers and most-loved companies, with more than a hundred decorators using their products and multiple selling units across the town.

However, following the rise of online shopping, retail parks, and national competitors, business became more tricky for Slinns and it has operated from a single unit on Hill Street, just off College Street, since 1973.

Following these difficulties and the continued cost of living crisis, the Slinn's team have decided to downsize and relocate to Gerards Park, just across College Street, in order to secure Slinn's future and make the business more sustainable.

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Slinn's has been a premium supplier of wallpaper and paints for more than a century (Image: St Helens Star) Alfred Bannister, who has worked at Slinn's since 1962, confirmed that the move will take place in the next week or two, with the Hill Street unit set to be converted into a car garage.

Despite the downsizing, Alfred said that the move will actually allow Slinn's to offer more products as they plan to work with more third-party suppliers and reach more customers.

Slinn's move will allow it to sell more products through third-party suppliers (Image: St Helens Star) Alfred, who runs Slinn's with his two sons, said: "We have had the Hill Street base since 1973 but it is around 8,000 square feet and we have struggled with rising bills and energy costs.

"The move to Gerards Park is to a unit of around 2,000 square feet which will be much more sustainable.

"We will still sell most of the things that we sell here at Hill Street, but we can follow the way other businesses have gone by using a click and collect service.

"This will actually help us to increase our stock by using third suppliers, where they source the materials for us and customers come and collect this from us."
Slinn's will move from its Hill Street home in the coming weeks (Image: St Helens Star)

While Slinn's will be able to sell more wallpaper, paints, mural designs, and accessories, Alfred emphasised that the business' unique selling point will be its vast stock of clearances, where customers can purchase quality wallpaper at just £5 a roll.

As Slinn's readies itself for its impending move, the business is also having a wholesale for much of its Hill Street stock that it will not be able to house at Gerards Park.

More information about Slinns can be found here.