Norwich rock shop could be back for good - if shoppers support it

Alex Hackett, Mo Walker and Toyiah Adams ooutside the newly opened Rock Collection in Norwich. PIC: Peter Walsh. (Image: Archant)

The Rock Collection, which sells alternative clothing and music merchandise, started out life more than 30 years ago on Norwich Market.

The store later moved to Dove Street in 2004, where it was known as Black Lace, and Upper Goat Lane in 2008 before becoming an online only business about four years ago.

The online business is still going strong, but now Murray Walker and his wife Mo, the couple behind the business, are back in Dove Street, where they once had Black Lace, and are hoping to be here to stay.

Mr Walker, 55, said: 'I missed the high street from the start.

'We went internet based for a reason, because that was the way that all the retail suppliers had been going the past two or three years.

'We sell around the world. We ship products to all over the world, which is good but we don't service anyone in Norwich on the internet.

'We probably get one or two customers a week who shop with us on the internet.

'But now we've come back on the high street they will now be able to come in and we can now serve more people in Norwich than we have in the past 18 months.

'We've missed the interaction with the people and the customers, very much so.

'People do still like to come in and like to try and feel and see what they are buying.'

Mr Walker said they have agreed to stay at the property in Dove Street until January but might look to extend that if things go well.

He said: 'If we prove in the next four months that the shop can do quite well we will think extremely seriously about coming back to the high street for a proper crack.'

Mrs Walker, 62, said it was good to be back. She said: 'We're back here just to see how it is on the high street.'

Log onto www.rockcollection.co.uk to find out more.