ANDOVER’S longest running jeweller will be moving premises to a prime location within the town centre this autumn.

David Mellor Family Jewellers will be relocating from its current shop in Waterloo Court to within the Chantry Centre.

Work is underway to transform the former Carphone Warehouse site into a contemporary jewellery store before the move, anticipated to be in October.

Describing how the move will allow the business to expand, Amy Mellor said: “After a great nine years in our Waterloo Court showroom, we’ve found that we’ve simply outgrown it and have been looking for the perfect location for some time now.

“Our new position in the Chantry Centre will see a larger showroom with a designated consultation area, meaning we can liaise with our customers in a more relaxed environment. Not only will the shop floor be more spacious, we will also be gaining a much larger head office from the first floor, which will accommodate additional admin staff.”

She continued: “Having been ‘off the beaten track’ for nearly a decade, we’re very excited to have a prime location with a higher footfall which, hopefully, will mean we see lots of new faces along with our existing loyal customer base.

“Our ethos will remain the same in that, personal yet professional, customer service will be paramount and that we continue to be a true family business...warts and all.”

“We and our fantastic tight-knit team of staff are really looking forward to the move and we hope we can continue to trade in Andover for as long as the town will have us.”

The family business, which has two other shops in Eastleigh and Totton, began life over 40 years ago with founder David Mellor operating market stalls, often sleeping in his van to guarantee a spot, before gaining a pitch at the bottom of High Street, Andover.

Ten years after starting trading, he and his wife Christine opened a store in Eastleigh followed shortly by a store opening in Totton while continuing on the markets.

The Andover side of the business then moved into Waterloo Court in 2008.

David remains front of house across all three stores while Christine manages the finances and administration.

Their eldest son, Dan, is a goldsmith and manages the workshop in Totton while their other son, Jim, is predominantly sales-based, managing both the Eastleigh and Totton shops.

Daughter Amy co-manages the Andover store with assistant manager Tara Yeates as well as handling the marketing side of the business.

For more information about David Mellor Family Jewellers, visit davidmellorjewellers.co.uk.