A little of the historical past of Whitby and Whitby Shops

After the tills have been jingling in the shops of Whitby Town over the Christmas period, its time to think about the New Year. After the jingling in the tills at Christmas time, the shops in Whitby are thinking about what the New Year will bring. What will it bring by way of tourism, will the economic situation in this country and the rest of Europe make a difference to the spending power of the local population and the expectant tourist sector? Will the economic situation in this country and the rest of Europe impact on the spending power of the local population and the expected influx of tourists.

A question on the mind of most owners of Whitby Shops in this historic town. Year upon year as the seasons pass, there does, in fact, seem to be an increase in the variety and style of shops opening their doors for business. As Whitby is considered by many as a seaside holiday resort, there are a number of tourist shops as would normally be expected when the town heavily relies on tourism for its economic survival. Many of the 'touristy' shops are concentrated around the harbour area on both sides of the River. Linking the two sides of Whitby, The East Side and The West Side, is the Old Whitby Swing Bridge which spans the River Esk. The harbour was instrumental in years gone by for the livelihood of a large proportion of the workforce by way of whaling, fishing and boatbuilding. Over the last century this has gradually been eroded away. Yes, there is still boat building at the shipyard but it is now only one company, although business is brisk, the orders are mainly from Scotland and other areas of the country as the fishing industry in Whitby UK has all but finished. The whaling industry has long since been finished.!!


The tourist shops fill a vital role in that of the sale of souvenirs and confectionery. Many visitors love to browse these shops in search of a memento of their stay or perhaps to pick up a 'bargain' to take home or even to purchase something connected with the town, for instance, Whitby Jet. The jet mined from the local seams along the North East Coast, was made famous by Queen Victoria whilst in mourning for her beloved Prince Albert. Now fashioned in both silver and gold jewellery, the modern day settings are far renowned throughout the country.

The retailers now connected to tourism, are situated all around the town and, are, to a large extent, dependent on the local population to sustain their businesses. Many of the older generation of Whitby folk have shopped for years in their hometown and rarely venture further afield. The younger generation, however, are happy to drive for twenty or thirty miles to do their weekly shopping or to buy other commodities such as clothing and furniture. Visitors, throughout the year, are also supplementing the income for these business by the sale of newspapers and magazines, also the visitors in self serviced accommodation purchase food from the local supermarkets and other independent retailers such as fruiterers and bakers.