Dozens of jobs look set to be lost as a prominent town centre store closes next week.
With high street retailer Wilko announcing its first wave of shop closures across the region, there was disappointment as the branch on Gordon Road, Lowestoft has been affected.
The homeware retailer announced it was going into administration in August, putting 12,500 jobs at risk.
And there was sadness today (Tuesday) as it was confirmed the Wilko store in Lowestoft would be closing next Tuesday, September 12.
It means 52 stores will shut their doors for good next week, as administrators for Wilko confirmed there will be redundancies for the team members working at these branches - with 1,016 staff based at the 52 sites affected.
Edward Williams, joint administrator, said: "In the absence of viable offers for the whole business, very sadly store closures and redundancies of team members from those stores are now necessary.
"The loss of these stores will be felt not only by the team members who served them with such dedication, including through the uncertainty of recent weeks, but also the communities which they have been a part of."
Having been based at the large former Fine Fare, Gateway and most recently Somerfield superstore - which closed in 2008 - the Lowestoft branch of Wilko opened on Gordon Road, just off London Road North, in November 2009.
Back then, almost 14 years ago, the value home and garden store - then known as Wilkinson - was opened by the former Lowestoft mayor Malcolm Cherry and TV and pantomime star Dave Benson Phillips after the family-owned chain teamed up with the town's Marina Theatre for the launch.
At the time, it was said that the creation of the Wilkinson store brought 88 new jobs to Lowestoft.
In 2012, Wilkinson rebranded its stores as Wilko, and now more than a decade on there's dismay at the latest Lowestoft town centre store closure.
With another vacant shop on the town's high street, retail leaders have expressed sadness at the latest bodyblow to beleaguered businesses in the town centre.
The store's closure next week leaves another major site prime for redevelopment, and Toby Hammond, East Suffolk council's cabinet member for economic development and regeneration, said it was "terrible news."
Cllr Hammond said: "The nationwide collapse of Wilko is terrible news for those affected and our thoughts are with the staff who work at the Lowestoft branch, having faced weeks of uncertainty.
"Town centres throughout the country are continuing to experience a period of considerable change and the Lowestoft Town Centre Masterplan, which East Suffolk Council launched in 2020, presents a vision for how the town can and should adapt to these changes.
"This work led to a successful Towns Fund bid of £24.9m and the development of plans for town centre development with the Lowestoft Place board.
"As part of this process, East Suffolk will be hosting a public engagement event about the proposed ‘Cultural Quarter’ in October, which would be located in the heart of the town centre, creating jobs and attracting more visitors to Lowestoft."
With Lowestoft awarded £24.9m from the government's £3.6bn Towns Fund in 2021 for five key projects in the heart of the town, one of the key projects is a new Cultural Quarter.
This project - which is expected to be complete by March 2026 - will involve further enhancements to the area around Battery Green, the Marina Centre and Marina Theatre "to provide an amazing new Cultural Quarter for Lowestoft" - including a new cultural facility with associated eatery and a new leisure offer.
Sonia Barker, mayor of Lowestoft, said: "We are disappointed with the announcement that the Lowestoft Wilko store is closing following the company falling into administration.
"Our hearts go out to all the workers from the store and their families who are affected by this news."
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