A shoe shop which has been a fixture in Dundee for generations is to close in the latest blow to the city centre.
Customers at Clarks shoe shop in Murraygate are being told the shop will close next month.
Clarks has been a fixture in the main shopping street in Dundee for more than 30 years.
The news follows the closure of GAME – two doors along the street – earlier this year.
Marks and Spencer intends to close its large Murraygate shop and relocate to Gallagher Retail Park.
Meanwhile, the unit vacated by Tesco in 2019 after landlord Sports Direct terminated its lease, remains empty.
Zara, Size? and the Disney Store have also closed in the past four years.
When will Clarks Dundee close?
A spokesperson said: “Clarks confirms its store at Murraygate, Dundee, will close this summer.
“We have a strong duty of care to all our employees, and we are working closely with the store team as they now go through a period of consultation.
“Customers can continue to shop from our full range of products online and at our Clarks store in Perth.”
Staff are informing customers there is not a definite date when it will shut, but it is likely to be around July 23.
The nearest Clarks shops will be in Perth and Dunfermline.
One customer was told the reason for closure was due to the lease expiring, but there is not an alternative location planned in the city.
The Dundee Murraygate shop opened in 1989.
Tough times for Clarks
Clarks’ story can be traced to 1825 when Cyrus and James Clark made a slipper from sheepskin offcuts.
It has retained its ethos of innovation and craftsmanship throughout its long history.
Clarks required a £100 million rescue deal from Hong Kong-based private equity firm LionRock Capital to keep it alive in 2020.
The business entered into a form of administration known as a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA), a form of insolvency.
The 51% acquisition meant the Clark family lost control of the business. Landlords accepted reduced terms as part of the rescue plan.
