SHOPPERS fear they now live in a “broken town” after a beloved bargain store closed its doors after 25 years.
Customers in an Essex town have been left distraught after the coming loss of their local QD branch.
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The setback is the latest in a series of high street retail regulars being forced out of business across Britain‘s town and city centres.
Bosses of the shopping chain – also known as Quality Discounts – called their exit from Grays High Street a “difficult decision”.
They blamed a steady recent drop in custom, as they revealed a closing-down sale would start on December 27.
QD will shut for good on January 12, the Echo in Essex reported.
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The store has been operating in the high street since 1999.
Group operations director Karl Ottolangui revealed the imminent closure follows sales being “in decline for some time”.
He told of them continuing to “dwindle” despite what he called “the hard work and best efforts of the team at Grays”.
He revealed: “Sadly it has become no longer viable for us to continue with this store and therefore we have had to make the difficult decision to close.”
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Some 16 store employees are affected, though QD highlighted efforts to help them find alternative work in south Essex.
The announcement has provoked anguish online from regulars, described by Mr Ottolangui as “a very loyal customer base”.
They could find work in neighbouring towns’ QD stores, such as a recent new opening in nearby Rayleigh.
QD has four more shops in the county, in Basildon, Clacton, Halstead, and Maldon.
Disappointed local customers responded online to the QD closure news from Grays.
‘ONLINE OUTLETS MONOPOLY’
One said: “It’s strange that it’s taken 25 years for this to happen.”
Another warned: “Shops will close and online outlets will have the monopoly.”
Another called the shutdown “strange”, describing a member of staff telling him “business had been brisk since Wilko shut down”.
The latest setback comes after a series of similar closures by fellow discount chain Poundstretcher.
Customers have also been alerted to a nationwide shutdown of 1,054 high street and community chemists by Boots rival Lloyds Pharmacy.
Banking giant Natwest has revealed 19 more of its branches will go this winter, having axed 402 since May last year.
Meanwhile, a toy retailer revealed its third closure in three weeks – this time in Gloucestershire, after others in Bristol and West Sussex.
Other businesses shutting down shops include many by clothing firm New Look as well as fashion and homeware brand Cath Kidston.
Yet discount retailer One Beyond has unveiled plans for two more outlets in former Wilko branches in the build-up to Christmas.
Homeware and hardware company Wilko fell into administration in August, placing 400 stores and 12,500 jobs at risk.
Wilko’s downfall the biggest in Britain retail since McColl’s collapsed into administration in May last year.
Yet that cornershop chain was rescued by Morrisons stepping in and keeping hold of 16,000 posts.
Paperchase went into administration in January, with its 106 closing for good – yet the brand name and intellectual property got bought by Tesco.
