Austins Department Store celebrates 100th anniversary

Newton Abbot town development manager Sally Henley said Austins was of "immense value"

A family business is celebrating 100 years of trading on a Devon high street.

Third generation independent department store, Austins, began trading in Newton Abbot in 1924.

Now run by the founder's grandson David Austin, the store comprises of five separate shops based around St Leonard's Tower in the town centre.

Newton Abbot town development manager Sally Henley said Austins was of "immense value" to the area.

She said Austins had been a constant for the past century and was "emotionally important" to Newtonians.

Ms Henley said: "There are towns up and down the length of Britain that would give their eye teeth for an Austins, and many who mourn the loss of their own department stores."

Its departments include menswear, ladies' fashion, perfumes, toys, homeware and furniture.

'In our bones'

Managing Director David Austin marked the anniversary with a ribbon-cutting, followed by centenary gifts and offers.

Founded by Robert Charles Austin on 1 March 1924, his son Charles led the store in the 1950s before David took over in the late 1980s.

Mr Austin said the story of the business was "very much in our bones."

Austins cosmetics counter in the 1990s

Mr Austin said: "It was a very tiny drapery shop in those days.

"The family was hugely involved in the business, in fact my father had plans of the store development on the dining room table all the time when we were young."

"What really matters still is our high street presence, our front of house, our people.

"We get such an appreciation from customers these days because we're a surviving department store and I think we still manage to give that great personal service to all our customers that come in.

"We're here in the business, if there's anything that needs doing we can do it.

"It's very much a people business and that's the key to how we are."