A BELOVED hardware store has launched a closing down sale ahead of its closure after 109 years.
Shoppers were left devastated when Dockerills in Church Street, Brighton, revealed it would shut for the final time on September 27.
The iconic store is the final branch of the family business, which was founded by Walter Dockerill in 1915.
The Dockerill family purchased the Church Street unit in the 1970s, and it soon became a staple for locals.
A clearance sale has now been launched, withuItems in the shop window being sold at a 50% discount.
Essential DIY materials like timber, scrap, and other odds and ends have been left outside for passers-by to take for free.
In a statement on social media, Dockerill’s said: “Our final day of High Street trading in Church Street is Friday, September 27, 8.30am-5.00pm.
“Whilst a sad day in the history of Dockerills high street presence we will reflect on the many good times and memories from various shop locations in the North Laine.”
Devasted shoppers flocked to social media sites to share their sadness over the decision to close the site.
One local wrote: “Sending much love to you all you courageous, creative, dedicated, devoted, talented souls.
“It breaks my heart to see Dockerills Brighton go.”
Another added: “A sad sign of the times. Traditional shops are facing extinction.”
While a third cried: “Oh my goodness. Dockerills was special.
“I’ve really appreciated their stock and service down the years. Very sad about this.”
It is understood that the shop was struggling due to less footfall as many shoppers now prefer to order DIY items from online e-commerce stores.
While Dockerills will no longer exist as a physical store, the owners have revealed that they embarking on a new business ventue.
Dockerills Direct will launch a new service called Dockerills Direct, specialising in services such as ironmongery, locks and keys, sign making, and general hardware.
The iconic DIY retailer isn’t the only shop to have closed in Brighton in recent months.
Residents who relied on the Post Office location on Islingword Road, in Brighton, were devastated when it permanently closed in July.
All Bar One in Brighton is to close for the final time today (September 7).
While Poundland in North Street, Brighton, shut its doors for the final time in February.
EMPTY shops have become an eyesore on many British high streets and are often symbolic of a town centre’s decline.
The Sun’s business editor Ashley Armstrong explains why so many retailers are shutting their doors.
In many cases, retailers are shutting stores because they are no longer the money-makers they once were because of the rise of online shopping.
Falling store sales and rising staff costs have made it even more expensive for shops to stay open. In some cases, retailers are shutting a store and reopening a new shop at the other end of a high street to reflect how a town has changed.
The problem is that when a big shop closes, footfall falls across the local high street, which puts more shops at risk of closing.
Retail parks are increasingly popular with shoppers, who want to be able to get easy, free parking at a time when local councils have hiked parking charges in towns.
Many retailers including Next and Marks & Spencer have been shutting stores on the high street and taking bigger stores in better-performing retail parks instead.
Boss Stuart Machin recently said that when it relocated a tired store in Chesterfield to a new big store in a retail park half a mile away, its sales in the area rose by 103 per cent.
In some cases, stores have been shut when a retailer goes bust, as in the case of Wilko, Debenhams Topshop, Dorothy Perkins and Paperchase to name a few.
What’s increasingly common is when a chain goes bust a rival retailer or private equity firm snaps up the intellectual property rights so they can own the brand and sell it online.
They may go on to open a handful of stores if there is customer demand, but there are rarely ever as many stores or in the same places.
