A POPULAR prom dress shop which has been open for 25 years is preparing to move back to the hustle and bustle of the town centre.

Jeneveve, which also stocks formal and eveningwear, is set to open a store in Head Gate, Colchester, after spending a year trading from Severalls Business Park.

Along with the move back to the town centre, founder Jenny Berriman is set to retire at the end of the year and hand over control of the business to daughter Suzie Dean.

Suzie said she was excited to take over the firm, which also has a store in Ipswich, although she would be sad to see her mum leave.

She said: “The business has been running for 25 years, and had been in the High Street for five years before we moved to Severalls Business Park.

“But after a year or so out there we felt it was a good idea to move back into town and we have found a lovely little shop to move into.

“At first we thought moving to the business park would be good because people would have space to park close by.

“But it gets to the point when you want to see life and to look out the window and see what is going on.

“I have been involved for ten years and am very excited about taking the step forward.

“My mum will still be around I’m sure but she is going to retire and spend some more time with the grandchildren.”

The shop has had several homes in Colchester after initially being run from North Hill, and Suzie said their longevity means customers keep returning.

She said: “People will come in and say ‘oh I got my wedding dress from you’ and all sorts of lovely things like that.

“Then girls who brought their own prom dresses from us are now bringing their daughters in for their prom dresses.”

The grand opening is scheduled for Saturday.