RAVENS welcomed its first customers in 1897.

Percy Raven established the business in Southend as a gentlemen’s outfitters trading from a small unit in the High Street.

He built the business, involving two major stores, before retiring in the Forties.

Second and third generations, Cecil and Roy Raven, opened at the current location in Clifftown Road in 1952 and the business has seen many changes and developments since then.

Ravens has offered shoppers in Essex and beyond a huge choice in menswear, ladieswear and gifts over the years, including the 65 years in its current home.

Its womenswear department was added in 2002, followed by a women’s shoes and accessories department in 2008.

Neil and Marian Raven are the current co-owners with their daughter Hannah Conacher, who is the fifth generation of the family to join the business.?

Ravens is the second family business in the borough to take the tough decision to close.

Havens, in Hamlet Court Road, which opened in 1920, is on the market for £1.5million.

The Havens homeware and gift store announced it had succumbed to a growing trend towards online shopping and is now undergoing a phased closure.

With a large part of the family business now conducted online, Nigel Havens, who currently runs the business with his brothers Paul and Graham, said closure of the two landmark stores would have an impact on the town. He said: “This will rock Southend. Its an indication of how things have changed to online shopping

“I’m very saddened about it but it doesn’t come as any surprise to me. I know Neil very well and think he has come to the same conclusion that we have.

“Sadly we are just not getting the footfall anymore.”

Mr Havens added: “Neil will find he will get a huge amount of love from the community. We had so much love from customers and sold a huge amount of stock.

“You can’t keep battling on especially when your children are not interested in carrying the business on.

“Both of us have done everything we can to continue retailing in the area but it’s changed now. It’s sign of the times.

“We will continue online. You just have to accept times change.”