The firm’s management – the founder’s great-grandsons, brothers Nicolas and Jonathan Norton and cousin Francis – sold the freehold of 139 Bond Street in 2015 with the proceeds split among the family shareholders.
Its new home, an off-street location on the second floor of 26 Bruton Street, pictured above, is rented from landlord Berkeley Square Estate. It will open by the end of February, above English furniture dealer Ronald Phillips.
It was previously the UK office of US fashion brand Diane von Fürstenberg.
The new home will be fitted out with cabinets and selling space as well as room for dining so the Nortons can entertain their clients. Signs at street level will be fitted to alert customers.
Nicolas Norton said: “The big hurdle is to make people aware of where we will be. The fear is they can’t find us. But with advertising and marketing and our change of address cards we will be alerting all our customers.”
He said the decision to move did not reflect a fall in sales, adding: “We decided to downsize because of our age. We are in our 70s and the fifth generation will not be taking over the business. We wanted to have a more manageable business for the medium term. But it is very much business as usual.”
