Newport family firm still going after 79 years

AF Thomas and Sons Ltd was founded by Albert Frederick Thomas in 1932.

The Pill docker invented a radar device and used the £100 prize money he was awarded by King George V for his invention to set up the business.

He started making radios in the living room of his home in Brunel Street before opening a shop in Commercial Road, which now sells all types of electrical items, furniture and home furnishings.

In the 1970s the company nearly lost the store under a compulsory purchase order and opened another shop on Chepstow Road, Maindee, but the order fell through and the firm has successfully run both premises in the city for the past 40 years.

But due to the economic downturn the business, which also has a shop in Abergavenny, is closing the doors on its Maindee shop and relocating all its stock to the original Pill store in a bid to save costs.

Mr Thomas’ granddaughter Alison Shatford, who has run the business with her brother Andrew Thomas for the past 11 years, said: “With two shops just a mile apart we have got double the rates and double the stock and people aren’t shopping in Newport so we cannot afford to run two shops.

“Our goal is to be here for our 100th year and to do that we have got to do cut costs and keep customers. But we are definitely not giving up, there’s too much pride, emotion and loyalty from customers and staff.”

Mrs Shatford, 50, of Llantarnam, said the secret to the shop’s longevity, which she claims is the oldest independent retailer in Newport, was great customer service.

And despite the move on April 1 she insisted it would be business as usual.

She said: “My father Raymond always used to say, look after your customers and your customers will look after you. Once we have customers we always get them back.