Store manager Sean Doyle

IN an era of shuttered shopfronts and high street decline, the 130-year anniversary of a Holloway Road department store is a milestone worth celebrating.

Last week, Selbys rose to the occasion with a two-day birthday party that included face painting, a caricaturist, candy floss, shopping deals and live tunes by DJ Emron – who works in the store when he’s not behind the decks.

The three-storey shopping destination in Nag’s Head has been a landmark since it was set up by founder James Selby as a small drapery business in 1895.

By the start of World War I, Mr Selby had five shops, and it was in 1968 that Selbys became part of the Morley Stores group that still runs it today.

DJ Emron – who works in the store when he’s not behind the decks – spinning tunes during the 130th birthday celebrations

Store manager Sean Doyle, grew up across the road, shopped in Selbys as a child and began working there as a Christmas temp more than 20 years ago, when he was 18.

“It sounds a bit cliche, but it’s like a family-run business,” he told the Tribune. “The people make it. Some of the team who I remember from when I started as an 18-year-old still work here now. Everyone knows everyone by name, even the chairman himself visits the store and listens to the team about stock, products, about what the customers are asking for.

“We’re small enough to be able to react quite quickly, and that’s what we need to do because the high street is ever-changing. It’s about creating an environment that people want to come back to, and the local customer is key.”

Candy floss being spun for the party

Like Mr Doyle, who is also chair of the Nag’s Head town centre, many members of staff have worked in the store for decades – the longest around 40 years.

Perhaps it is that loyalty that has helped Selbys outlast its competitors, including nearby Jones Brothers, another drapery-turned-department store that closed in 1990.

And while the bulk of customers are older residents, the shop’s social media videos and extensive jelly cat and Pokemon collections show a business that knows how to move with the times.

“We’re trying to engage on social media because that’s the way things are going,” said Mr Doyle. “But then we’re also still selling net curtains. We still have that traditional bricks and mortar, because people like to come in and speak to the team. There are customers that have been shopping here since they were children.”