Global poverty charity Oxfam has confirmed its last shop in Angus is to close.
Speculation has surrounded the charity’s shop in Montrose for the last few months, with the charity previously stating the shop’s future was under review.
A decision to close the Orange Lane shop has now been taken and ‘for sale’ signs will be erected shortly.
Tom Richardson, Oxfam’s operations manager for Scotland and the North of England, said the move had been made with a “heavy heart”.
He said: “We truly regret the shop in Montrose is closing. It marks the end of an era in the town.
“Oxfam is constantly evaluating the profitability of all our shops to ensure we’re efficient and making the most money for Oxfam’s vital work.
“Sometimes this process results in us having to close a shop if it isn’t found to be viable, but these decisions are always made with a heavy heart and are never taken lightly.”
The charity’s Arbroath and Forfar shops have both closed in the past decade.
Shop manager Linda Stuart, who leads a team of 10 volunteers, described the decision as “sad”.
“Customers aren’t very happy about it and neither are my volunteers but there is not a lot we can do.
“The shop is part of the community and we do have a lot of regular and loyal customers and my volunteers are just amazing.
“We’ve been in limbo for the last few months and all the customers have been asking what’s happening.”
The shop extended its opening hours in November, from 10am to 4pm to 9.30am to 5pm, in a bid to raise as much money as possible before it is shut down.
Linda added the shop will continue to trade until a buyer is found.
Mr Richardson also paid tribute to the many volunteers, donors and supporters who have come through the shop’s doors.
“We’d like to thank the staff and volunteers in Montrose for all of their hard work in the shop, and pass on our thanks to everyone in the town who has helped Oxfam over the years,” he said.
“We hope that people in Montrose will continue to show their generosity towards Oxfam, either through donations or purchases via our online store.”
