Harris Scarfe has shut its doors for the final time at Dubbo and the prime CBD location it occupied is empty this week.
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Dubbo was one of 21 centres nationally to lose the struggling department store chain as receivers also moved to put another 44 stores up for sale.
It came after Harris Scarfe was placed in receivership on December 11, hours after it entered voluntary administration.
Dubbo Chamber of Commerce president Matt Wright said it was a loss for the city.
"It is a shame to lose that retailer from the city but also a retailer in such a prominent location," he said.
"It's another busy intersection there on the corner of Wingewarra and Macquarie.
"So it will be a big hole to fill and it's quite a large store as well so I'll be curious to see what new tenant might take up that vacancy."
Australia has seen a succession of stores face uncertain futures in recent weeks.
Mr Wright said he thought it reflected multiple factors.
"Overall, the Australian economy, especially in NSW and drought conditions are biting pretty hard at the moment, and retail spending is definitely down in regional locations," he said.
"I think wages growth over the past three to five years at least has been pretty flat as well, while the cost of living continues to grow.
"People don't have that growing income as well to be able to spend on discretionary items. So certainly retail feels the effect of that.
"Add the effect of bushfire disaster over Christmas, and again people are going to have their focus elsewhere."
He noted it was a "growing international trend as well".
To combat the conditions, the chamber president suggested there were opportunities for stores to offer "a different experience" or set themselves apart from competitors.
"Absolutely, to be creative and potentially even be a little bit bold and just to stand out from the crowd," Mr Wright said.
"Looking at the retailers that are having difficulties, and a lot of them are for want of a better word, a middle-of-the-road-type retailer.
"Whereas those retailers at the premium end, and even those retailers right at that bargain end still seem to be going quite well."
Mr Wright said the city's unemployment rate was quite low and he encouraged people who were losing their jobs to look for ways to expand their skills and seek fresh work opportunities.
Faye Wheeler
I have been a journalist for more than a decade and in that time I have been keeping Daily Liberal readers up to date about issues affecting them and what's happening in their community. Throughout my career I have covered a range of rounds and most recently I have been focusing on the business round.
I have been a journalist for more than a decade and in that time I have been keeping Daily Liberal readers up to date about issues affecting them and what's happening in their community. Throughout my career I have covered a range of rounds and most recently I have been focusing on the business round.
