A sofa store in Clifton is reopening after a Tesla car went flying into its shopfront, narrowly avoiding staff and customers inside. Arlo and Jacob on Whiteladies Road is reopening its Bristol showroom tomorrow (Friday, May 6) a month after the incident which caused extensive damage to the store.
A huge emergency response was triggered on April 5 after it emerged a Tesla had 'gone flying' through the shopfront, which saw Whiteladies Road shut for a number of hours. An elderly woman, the driver of the Tesla, was treated by ambulance crews at the scene.
Arlo and Jacob has since confirmed to BristolLive that a team meeting had been taking place inside the store moments before the crash, and a sales consultant had to 'leap out of the way' of the car which was 'flying towards him.' Two customers inside the store were 'shaken', and one was taken to hospital as a precautionary measure.
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In a statement today (May 5), the store said: "Handcrafted sofa makers Arlo & Jacob re-open the doors to their Bristol showroom on Friday following damages from a car crash. They’re pleased to return the space to working order and are taking the opportunity to make improvements.
"The final touches will continue to be rolled out over the coming weeks, though they are grateful to welcome the Bristol community with a return to regular store hours."
Arlo and Jacob will be also be offering its Bristol customers a discount when it reopens. "As a gesture of gratitude for their customers’ patience, Arlo & Jacob is extending their spring offer exclusively for Bristolians," it continued.
"They can save 15 percent across almost the entire range, giving them the opportunity to make the most of Arlo & Jacob’s seasonal savings now that their local showroom has re-opened."
At the time of the incident, a spokesperson from the store said: "A Tesla careered, clearly out of control, over Whiteladies Road and into the front of Arlo & Jacob’s beautiful sofa store, eventually coming to a stop at the back of the shop in the kitchen. Shortly before this, a meeting between the Arlo team had been occurring in the kitchen area. They luckily had departed elsewhere in the building a few minutes prior to impact."
After the incident the store said it would be working hard to put its "lovely sofa store back together." It also thanked local businesses on Whiteladies Road for their support.
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