Edinburgh shop beloved by local community announces sudden closure with ‘great sadness’

Edinburgh shop owner says it’s ‘time for a change’ as she shares the news of closure with customers

A much-loved shop in Edinburgh's seaside suburb of Portobello has announced its sudden closure with “great sadness”.

Holly Grows, a store specialising in houseplants on Brighton Place, will close its doors for the last time in February, or when the current stock runs out.

Owner Holly Johannessen shared the sad news with customers on social media, saying it was “time for a change”.

Holly Grows, on Brighton Place in Edinburgh's Portobello district, is set to close. Photo: Holly Grows

In an emotional post on Facebook, Holly wrote: “As many of you know, I have been trying to sell the business for a while now. I have now decided to take the business off the market and it is with great sadness that I announce we will be closing our shop in Portobello.

“I have absolutely loved having the shop for the past 2 and a half years (!!), it has totally flown by and I have met so many wonderful friends and customers. Being a part of the community in Portobello has been such an honour and I will miss it greatly. Chatting away to you all in the shop and at the workshops has definitely been the highlight of shop ownership.”

She added: “It is time for a change and I am ready and excited to see where life takes me next. Our official closing date will be announced in due course but it will likely be mid February, or whenever we run out of stock! I will begin discounts this week so keep your eyes peeled on stories for more on that.

“Please pop in and say hello as many times as you can squeeze in, and potentially grab a good deal and help me shift some stock whilst you’re in.

As for what’s next for Holly Grows, she said: “I am not entirely sure yet, I will keep this instagram of course and potentially continue offering workshops, but first I need some time off to reassess everything and work out what I want to do. I would love for you all to stick around and support whatever comes next. So much love to you all.”