Major retailer Halfords is set to exit Irvine for good later this year.
The town's retail offering is set to suffer a hammer blow after the news that the motoring and cycling specialists has terminated its lease after receiving notice from their landlord.
Jobs are now at risk at the East Road unit although Halfords bosses say they're trying to offer them roles at other branches.
The East Road retail park - which features Aldi, Boots, Domino's and a Barnardo's charity shop - suffered a huge loss when catalogue retailer Argos quit the development a few years ago.
A Halfords spokesperson said: “We have received notice from our landlord to terminate the lease on our Irvine store later this year.
"All colleagues have been informed and we are looking to offer them opportunities at our branches in Kilmarnock and Ayr.
"We offer the full Halfords range of products and services at these stores.”
The retailer did not confirm how many roles are at risk at the store or when the shop itself will close for the final time.
Branches in Kilmarnock and Ayr are to remain open following the closure.
Last month Halfords claimed that difficulties in hiring enough car mechanics was partly to blame for a profits warning.
The Guardian reported that the retailer said a lack of technicians meant sales at its Autocentre motor servicing garages, one of which is based in Kilmarnock, were focused on less-profitable services and this was having an effect on overall profitability.
The group now expects to make annual profits of £60m at most, down from as much as £75m previously hoped for.
Underlying sales of bicycles and cycling gear were down 8.6 per cent in a quarterly trading statement.
And sales of car tyres remained 13 per cent below pre-Covid levels.
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