End of an era as local stores close their doors

The change will mean four vacant stores in one of the region’s shopping centres.

Target Country Murwillumbah staff Maree Higgins, Lucy Booth, Kim Fuller, Alyssa Stavar and manager Tracy Marsden. The store will be open for business for the final time on Saturday, January 30. Picture: Liana Boss

It is the end of an era for Murwillumbah as the town’s only department store of its kind prepares to close its doors.

Target Country in Sunnyside Mall will have its final day of trading on Saturday, January 30.

The store has been there for decades; it opened to replace Fosseys, which had operated in the town’s main street before the brand merged with Target.

The store is one of several Country Targets in Northern NSW to be hit by sweeping changes.

Target Country Murwillumbah staff Kim Fuller, Alyssa Stavar, manager Tracy Marsden, Maree Higgins and Lucy Booth. The store will be open for business for the final time on Saturday, January 30. Picture: Liana Boss

Goonellabah and Ocean Shores stores will also have their last days of trading on Saturday while the Casino store is expected to remain open until at least February 7.

Many stores across the country are closing while others are moving to the Kmart brand.

The Ocean Shores store is set to become a K-Hub, a mini Kmart.

“Target Murwillumbah will close this Saturday,” a Target spokeswoman said.

“We want to thank our Murwillumbah team, the local community and all of our customers for shopping with us over the last 21 years.

“Our focus has remained on supporting our team through this difficult time as we work through finding suitable outcomes for our team either through redeployment, outplacement support and for any permanent team members access to all their entitlements.”

The departure of the store will mean there are four empty shops in the centre.

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