A HISTORIC East Dorset business will begin trading from a former furnishings showroom this January.

Staff at Dacombes of Wimborne will move into the former Brights of Nettlebed building at the end of the month.

The site in Leigh Road has been standing empty since the branch closed in November last year after 30 years of trading.

Matt Renaut, managing director the electronics store, said: “When we heard that Brights of Nettlebed were closing their Wimborne store we knew it would be an ideal location for us and enable us to go ahead with our expansion plans.

"Retail is changing, and via customer feedback we realised the need to create a destination shop and to have specialist products and advisors on hand to create bespoke kitchens too."

Dacombes has been based in and around West Street, the Cornmarket and the Square for almost 100 years.

All 15 members of staff will relocate to the two-level 4,500 square foot store.

Mr Renaut said: "We had run out of space in West Street and in the Cornmarket.

"The new building also has the added advantage of a car park to the rear.

"The premises are spacious, which means we can create several different areas for our products and our customers will have the benefit of more selection."

Ian Faulkner, chair of the Wimborne Business Improvement District, said: "We are delighted that retailing will continue at the Brights of Nettlebed site, and even more delighted that it is one of Wimborne’s success stories that is taking over the space."

He wished the business "every continued success", adding: "This move supports Dacombes continued growth and expansion plans, and provides another great destination to visit in Leigh Road."

Brights of Nettlebed continues to trade from King's Road in London and the Oxfordshire showroom in Nettlebed.

When the closure of the Wimborne branch was announced last year, chair Robert Stamp said: "Current trends in modern retailing are website based, and that, coupled with our popular 'home approval' service, have increased business to the point that the showroom is an extravagance.

"Investment has to be encouraged into new warehousing and stock movement systems to satisfy the demands of our clients or the business will not evolve."