Dundee ‘institution’ Manifesto will close for the final time this weekend after more than three decades in the city.
Staff at the clothes shop have been informing customers the shop, which first launched in Dundee in 1986, will close on Saturday.
Late last year, owner Forrey Rosscraig launched a Crowdfunder in a bid to save the business, which also has a store in Kirkcaldy. Its Perth shop shut last year.
Mr Rosscraig was looking to raise £50,000 to keep Manifesto alive.
When he launched the Crowdfunder, the businessman said: “I’m determined to keep the shops going for a few years yet.
“We celebrated our 30th anniversary in 2016 and I want to see our 40th anniversary at least.”
The fundraiser allowed people to donate in exchange for rewards such as t-shirts and key rings.
Despite his best efforts, the campaign raised just over £3,000.
Difficult trading conditions in Dundee
Mr Rosscraig declined to speak to The Courier this week.
However in November, he said trading conditions had become particularly challenging.
“It’s been a really hard struggle over the past few years with everything that’s happened,” he said.
“To add to that, with Zara closing just down the road, the footfall in Commercial Street has just died.
“It used to be that our male customers would come in and spend time trying on clothes while their wives and girlfriends were shopping in Zara.
“It’s just really dead around this area now and to be honest if this doesn’t work we won’t be around much longer.
“It’s getting really difficult for independent shops now. I still think we carry a wee bit of goodwill in the town but it’s really dead, the pubs are quiet, there’s just not enough people going out.
“The banks aren’t helping either, the interest rates are going up as well as our energy bills.
“We’re now having to pay for a lot of our stock up front, which means because we can’t afford to do that the bigger companies just swallow everything up.
“Two of the biggest companies, JD Sports and Sports Direct are having a fashion war just now and the fallout from that hits the independent stores.”
Customers ‘so sad’ as Manifesto to close
The first Manifesto shop opened in Whitehall Crescent 37 years ago. It moved to Commercial Street a few years later.
Customers voiced their sadness at the news on social media.
“Sad day for yet another independent store,” one wrote.
Another added they were “so sad” to hear of the shop’s demise.
A third wrote on Facebook: “Sorry to hear you are closing down”.
Conversation