A St Helens clothes shop is closing down seven years after its grand opening saw queues of excited shoppers spilling out onto the street.
A DJ played music while members of staff handed out goody bags, balloons and 25% discount wristbands when H&M opened in the Church Square shopping centre in November 2015.
Now the fashion giant has announced its plans to shut down the 14,000 sq ft store on September 25.
READ MORE: H&M store launch in St Helens sees hundreds queue for opening day deals
An alert sent to H&M members read: "We'll miss being a part of the St Helens community, but don't worry, H&M is still here for you. You can find your nearest store on Lord Street, Liverpool, or in Warrington, and don't forget we're always online."
Some eight members of staff at the St Helens shop will be affected by the closure, with most of these being transferred to other H&M branches.
One staff member said: "A few of us are going to be transferred to other stores, but a few of us here are students, so we'll find somewhere else to go. But most of us are going to be transferred to other stores."
She added: "I think they are closing a few H&Ms; they closed the Wigan store a few months ago, so I think we were next on the list."
H&M announced its plans to close 240 stores across the world following a decline in sales in March.
The fashion retailer, which has around 5,000 stores worldwide, also announced plans to open 95 new stores in "growth markets", while ones in "established markets" would be shut down.
Sales at H&M stores rose by 6% in March compared with 23% growth in the three months through February, but these were down 11% from two years earlier, before outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Meanwhile, the group reported a 75% rise in online sales from April to June 2021, compared to the same period in the year before.
READ MORE
Prison officer's home raided, 'self made' man stole £800k and unearthed hidden room
Restored façade of Liverpool's iconic Municipal Buildings unveiled
Disney Magic in Liverpool: Full guide for 2022 visit to the city
Mum 'ready to plan funeral' as toothache turns out to be devastating disease
Aldi, Sainsbury's and more closing for Queen Elizabeth II's funeral
