Great Yarmouth sex shop in Howard Street up for auction

OMG Adult World (formerly the Private Shop) had been on Howard Street North, near the town police station.

Inside the main shop area of 3 Howard Street North. Picture - Auction House East Anglia (Image: Auction House East Anglia)The small shop, noted for its discreet signage and purple colour scheme, opened in 1982.

At the time, the nearby Market Row and Broad Row were two of the busiest thoroughfares in the town.

The shop promoted itself as the place to go for 'marital aids, pornography and sex toys'.

The company last renewed its Sex Establishment Licence with Great Yarmouth Borough Council in February 2023, but did not apply for a renewal this year, marking the end of the chain's presence in the town after 42 years.

The closure comes two years after the company shut its Norwich branch, on St Augustines Street, in 2022.

The chain still has stores in Doncaster, Edinburgh, Liverpool, Grimsby, Nottingham, Newcastle, West Bromwich, Worcester, Carlisle and Chesterfield.

Howard Street North is a short walk away from the town centre. Picture - James Weeds (Image: James Weeds)

The vacant Yarmouth property is due to go under the hammer with Auction House East Anglia on Wednesday with a guide price of £35,000 to £45,000.

Auctioneers describe the property as "a well-proportioned prominent end of terrace two storey retail property requiring improvement".

The property is not listed, but lies within a conservation area.

The Private Shop in 2012. Picture - Google (Image: Google)