Locally owned homewares and variety store, House2Home in Kiama, will close, but try to trade on in a different form.

“After 24 years of business in our little town, the end of the road is near for House2Home Kiama. We have made the extremely tough decision to close down,” the owners said online.

“After so long in the game and a very tumultuous last 4-5 years, we just haven’t got any fight left in us to keep facing the continual challenges that small business brings.”

It is believed rising power prices and rents may have played a part in the pending closure.

“We’re still sure how this is going to play out and we don’t have an end date as yet.”

“We are in the process of trying to work out if we can have one more Christmas before we close the doors for good, or whether it will be sooner than that.”

“We’re not totally down and out just yet as we still look into some options to continue in some way, even if it is different to the House2Home we’ve all come to know and love. If nothing else comes up, we’re still hoping to do balloons in some way, shape or form.”

House2Home in Corrimal shut in October last year and House2Home in Thirroul closed in August 2019.

NSW is approaching a record year of business closures fuelled by persistent high interest rates, inflation, and reduced consumer spending.

Approximately 3695 NSW small businesses have closed this financial year to April 30, and may overtake the 4,487 business which closed in 2008, during the GFC.