Shoe store FSW is closing at Dubbo, its general manager saying it was a casualty of "a slow decline in retail" and COVID-19.
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The business that has traded in the centre of the city for more than a decade will shut the doors on February 14.
FSW general manager Janelle Wilson confirmed six people were losing their jobs with the company's exit from Dubbo.
The decision leaves the city's offering of specialty shoe stores further depleted, and comes three months after Easy Living Footwear closed its Dubbo store.
The 406-square-metre Macquarie Street premises occupied by FSW is now listed for lease.
ACT-based Ms Wilson said the reason for the closure was "economic downturn".
"Retail has been in a slow decline for the past five years, and unfortunately it is affecting the country areas the most," she said.
Added to the decline was the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic, creating administration and stock issues, and a "lot of unforeseen problems with running a retail business", she said.
The retailing boss said it had been difficult to get stock into the country.
"...not just getting the stock out of its destination ports like China and Vietnam, it's difficult to get it unloaded when it gets to Australia, purely based on the rules that are now in place," Ms Wilson said.
"So it's got to get off the containers, on to the docks, and then to its destination, so orders are very difficult to fill now for a lot of people in any retail sector."
Ms Wilson warns "access to stock is going to continue to be quite an issue for a lot of retailers".
The closure of the Dubbo store is the last step in a strategy to reduce the company's footprint from 14 to nine stores, Ms Wilson said.
"We started 18 months ago right-sizing, it's called right-sizing our business to be able to accommodate for the future needs of FSW," she said.
"That meant that we had earmarked some stores to close.
"And what I mean by COVID is it was just the last decision, it helped us make that last decision of where we were closing and why."
Dubbo's closure brings the retailer back to nine stores, and comes after it departed Wagga Wagga in November.
The remaining nine stores were "predominantly in the Canberra area".
"Our Orange store will continue to trade," Ms Wilson said.
The retailer expressed appreciation for loyal customers of the Dubbo store.
We want to thank them for all their support they've given us over the time, especially the people in the remote areas... who do spend quite a lot of time in our store when they do come into Dubbo town...
- FSW general manager Janelle Wilson
"We want to thank them for all their support they've given us over the time, especially the people in the remote areas... who do spend quite a lot of time in our store when they do come into Dubbo town..." Ms Wilson said.
FSW had a large number of repeat customers, she reported.
"...We want to thank them very much and are sad to be leaving Dubbo actually," Ms Wilson said.
"It's a business decision we had to make."
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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.
