Raft of retail companies pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth II
Retailers have joined presidents, prime ministers and monarchs from around the world in paying tribute to the life of Queen Elizabeth II who passed away yesterday at the age of 96 at Balmoral.
The tributes highlighted Her Majesty’s “selfless” public service over her historic 70-year reign as retailers offered their condolences to the Royal Family.
Joules said: “This morning we woke up feeling profound sadness. For us Brits, the Queen has been a constant and positive influence in an ever‑changing and often troublesome world. Our monarch was someone we could all rely on to choose the right time and the right words. Now we find ourselves with our own to write. And no words, from us or others, will do justice to what she meant to us all. She meant the world. In time, the Queen’s life will be celebrated as it should be, but over the next few days, we’ll be pausing and reflecting, so please excuse us if we go a little quiet. Our thoughts are with the Royal Family.”
John Lewis and Waitrose tweeted: “We are deeply saddened by the death of Her Majesty The Queen. She faithfully served the nation as our sovereign during her long, happy and glorious reign. We extend our heartfelt sympathy to the Royal Family.”
The Liberty department store in London will remain closed today. In a tweet, the retailer said: “Our heartfelt sympathy and thoughts are with the Royal Family at this sad time. As a mark of respect, Liberty store will be closed until Saturday 10th September at 10am while we join the country in mourning.”
Selfridges has closed its stores in London, Birmingham and Manchester for the day. The retailer said: “It is with deep sorrow that we acknowledge the passing of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II. Queen Elizabeth has been a reassuring constant throughout our lives, ascending to the throne on 6 February 1952, making her the longest-reigning monarch in British history. Over the past 70 years, her Majesty has been dedicated to the service of our country and the Commonwealth, demonstrating an enormous sense of duty and commitment. Our thoughts are very much with the Royal Family at this time, as the country comes together to pay tribute and remember Queen Elizabeth II.”
Paperchase said on its website: “We are deeply saddened by the announcement that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has passed away. An inspiration to our country, her 70 years of service are a testament to her incredible strength, resilience, and dedication, proving her to be a true queen of the people. Our thoughts are with the Royal Family and the nation as we collectively mourn. May you rest in peace, Your Majesty. We will miss you.”
In a tweet, Marks & Spencer said: “We’re deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Her Majesty The Queen. She’s led for over 70 years with quiet determination and selfless devotion. We join the Royal Family and the nation in their grief and offer the Royal Family our heartfelt condolences.”
An Aldi spokesperson said: “We are saddened to hear of the news that Her Majesty The Queen has passed away. As our longest reigning monarch, she led with grace and selfless devotion. Our thoughts are with the Royal Family at this difficult time. We await further details of what will happen in the coming days and will update our customers and colleagues when we know more.”
Asda said: “We are deeply saddened by the announcement of the death of Queen Elizabeth II. For more than seven decades Her Majesty has been a constant in our lives. We are profoundly grateful for her extraordinary service to the nation and send our heartfelt condolences to the Royal Family.”
Tom Athron, chief executive of Fortnum & Mason, said: “It was with great sadness that we learnt of the death of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II. Her life was devoted to the service of the country and the Commonwealth, and her unequalled reign will long be recalled as one of unstinting faithfulness to her Coronation vows. Our thoughts are with the Royal Family at this time.”
On its website, Lidl UK said: “Everyone at Lidl UK is deeply saddened by the passing of Her Majesty The Queen. Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences go out the Royal Family at this difficult time.”
Tesco said: “We are deeply saddened by the death of Her Majesty The Queen. Our thoughts and condolences are with the Royal Family as we mourn the loss of our longest-serving British monarch. We are indebted to her dedicated service to this country.”
Co-op chief executive Shirine Khoury-Haq said: “On behalf of Co-op UK, I would like to offer our deepest condolences to the Royal Family, following the news about the passing of Her Majesty the Queen. Our thoughts are with the Royal Family and we join all others who will be reflecting on her historic reign.”
Simon Roberts, chief executive of Sainsbury’s, said on the retailer’s website: “We are very sorry to learn of the passing of Queen Elizabeth II. She was a truly remarkable woman and an inspiration to so many people, all over the world. Some of our colleagues had the honour of hosting her at our Sainsbury’s 150th birthday celebrations and we were so grateful to her for the time she took to celebrate with us. We thank her for her extraordinary decades of service to our country and our thoughts and deepest condolences are with Her Majesty’s family at this sad time.”
Morrisons tweeted: “We are deeply saddened by the news that Her Majesty the Queen has passed away and would like to send our sincere condolences to the Royal Family. Her Majesty the Queen lived a life of extraordinary public service and we share the nation’s gratitude at this very difficult time.”
Next said on Facebook: “As we offer our heartfelt condolences to the Royal Family, we reflect with gratitude and admiration on an extraordinary lifetime of service.”
Jason Birks, national president of The Federation of Independent Retailers, commented: “Independent retailers are saddened by the death of HM Queen Elizabeth II. She served with unswerving duty, dedication and commitment. May she rest in peace. Our thoughts are with the King and his family.”
The British Retail Consortium said: “The retail industry joins the world in mourning the passing of Her Majesty The Queen. We extend our deepest sympathies to the Royal Family. Her loss will be felt across the country and she will be greatly missed.”
Dobbies Garden Centre said: “We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Queen Elizabeth II. Our thoughts and condolences are with the Royal Family during this difficult time.”
A spokesperson from Not On The High Street said: “We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Her Majesty the Queen. We reflect on her lifetime of service and selfless devotion with fond memories and admiration. She was a remarkable woman and ever-inspiring leader of our nation who will be sorely missed. Our thoughts are with the Royal Family at this sad time.”
