Exposed finds out how established city centre barbers Savills has settled into life in its new home in the Heart of the City Development…
Back in May, celebrated city-centre barbers Savills opened its new industry-leading barbershop on Pinstone Street, becoming a key part of the council’s retail offering in their flagship Heart of the City development in Sheffield city centre.
Now rehomed in one of the boutique-style ground and first-floor units in Laycock House, the multi-award-winning barbershop has made the most of the unit’s Victorian characteristics, with a striking fit-out balancing traditional barbershop aesthetics with an up-to-date modern twist.
Thanks to the move, the barbers have also been able to develop their sector-leading training academy, offering apprenticeships, NVQ qualifications and advanced skills training in a dedicated space on the shop’s upper floor.
Savills founder Joth Davies told Exposed that the relocation from its nearly 20-year home on Devonshire Street had long been in the pipeline, with conversations about moving premises going back as far as 2009, when he could already see footfall in that area of the city steadily declining.
“It was already becoming less fashion and retail-focused around Division Street,” explained Joth, “but because of the financial crash, and more recently the pandemic, conversations about moving were put on hold.
“I just didn’t feel like we were ever going to move forward as a business where we were, so when the Heart of the City development started up again, I thought, I’ll just continue the conversations, because it seemed like the council and its partners were doing something great with this area.
“When this unit came up, we dug deep again and decided to go for it, and I’m glad we did; it’s been a great move.”
In fact, Joth tells us that they’ve had one of their busiest-ever summers. “It’s been brilliant,” says Joth. “Being situated in the heart of the city, where the footfall is a lot better, has really benefited us, and we’ve been busy ever since we got in.
“All our customers came with us, but pleasingly we’ve got quite a lot of new customers as well. We’ve also been able to create a designated space for the Academy, which is much easier to work from, so it’s been a really good move all round.
“Having said all that, moving was a difficult one, because there was so much history in the old place, and that meant something to me, but it’s definitely been the right thing for everybody. We’ve got seven barbers in here now, and they all love it. It’s been a great boost for everyone.”
After a lot of hard work and dedication, Savills’ new city-centre spot is open throughout the festive period, so if you’re in need of a trim, book online: savillsbarbers.com.
