The closure of one of Forfar’s most prominent businesses is a warning that people should “use or lose” their local independent shops, a town councillor has said.
Councillor Glennis Middleton was responding to the news that David Irons & Sons, which can trace its roots in Forfar to the early 19th Century, will close later this month.
The shop’s owner, Lord Strathmore, blamed its demise on the arrival of an Asda supermarket and several discount shops in Forfar, as well as the rise of internet shopping.
Mrs Middleton said: “lt’s really sad that such an iconic business will be lost to Forfar because I don’t think we live in a climate now where someone is going to open a similar shop in the future.
“Losing the quality of the goods and service that David Irons & Sons provided will be a huge loss to the town.
“I have used Irons many times over many years when I’ve been looking for a special gift because it was a special shop.
“We have a number of independent shops in Forfar which we are very lucky to have.
“But there is a word of caution for people who live or who come to Forfar to shop. That is ignore the independent shops at your peril because if you don’t use them, we will surely lose them.”
Asda opening in Forfar in 2011 was the subject of fierce debate in the town.
Concerns were raised by retailers that the supermarket’s arrival would signal the death knell for the heart of the burgh.
Bruce Robertson, who operates the Forfar Photo Centre on East High Street, said the impact of the supermarket had been felt by the independent retailers.
He said: “To my mind a supermarket should just sell food, but they want a piece of everyone’s business.
“Asda has killed my end of my town the trade seems to go from Tesco to Asda and back and forth and it’s a concern that the closure of David Irons might start a domino effect.
“We need support from the local community to keep smaller businesses going.”
Charles Jarvis, who owns the Jarvis Brothers clothing shop on Castle Street, said Asda had taken a chunk out of many shops’ sales.
He said: “It’s sad that Irons have decided to close down. It’s surprising since so much money has been spent on the shop relatively recently to shut down as quickly as that.
“It’s been around a long time and quite an iconic business in Forfar.
“The supermarkets pick out the best-selling ranges to sell and that means a lot of the basic sales that you normally get don’t appear.
“Asda doesn’t do the centre of town any good for other retailers. Forfar now has Asda, Tesco, Home Bargains, Lidl, Aldi, the Original Factory Shop and B&M.
“There doesn’t seem to be much consideration about what happens to town centres when these big companies come in.
“The council can’t do an awful lot now. Independent retailers just have to fight the situation that’s there.”