A STALWART city centre business has seen the doors of its shop in the Shambles shut for the very last time.

For more than 30 years family-run Thompsons, the discount electrical store, has been in Worcester city centre, but on Saturday the shop was officially closed.

Thompsons, which has warehouses at the Perrywood Trading Park, is now looking to expand its already existing online presence, offering customers a 'click-and-collect' service.

Carl Thompson, director, said it was "horrible" to close the Shambles store on Saturday and thanked Thompsons' loyal customers.

He said: "It was horrible. It is where we started but the town centres are not like they used to be. There are so many other places you can go shopping.

"We are sorry about it but the town centre retail stores are no longer a viable option anymore.

"It is not just your rates and your rents, you get all the additional charges, insurance - all little things that build up.

"One of our biggest problems has been with customers collections. Customers are put off by the car parking charges for a start.

"We get a lot of people who want to collect stuff but we have had quite a few people get parking tickets.

"For a lot of people now it is convenience, people want convenience when they shop but the town centre doesn't feel as convenient as it used to."

The company, which specialises in discounted white goods from branded names, was originally set up by Tony Thompson - Carl's father - and his wife Janet, from a stall in the Market Hall.

It then moved to a small premises in City Arcade and later moved to Blackfriars Shopping Precinct as the business grew.

In the early 1990s Thompsons remained open during the redevelopment of Blackfriars into CrownGate Shopping Centre.

Following this, Tony Thompson began to think about setting up a wholesale and export business with Robin Woodhouse, sales director, from warehouses at Perrywood Trading Park in Wylds Lane.

Carl Thompson joined the business in 1997 and around seven years ago Thompsons returned to City Arcade in the Shambles to open a new store in the redeveloped Worcester arcade.

During his time with the business, Carl Thompson said he has noticed a great deal of change in high street retailing.

"It has just gone down and down and down," he explained.

He continued: "To be honest, you get to the point where you can't viably carry on with it.

"We are looking at restructuring. We are looking at doing something more internet based.

"We would like to thank all our customers over the last 30 years."

For more information about Thompsons visit thompsons-online.co.uk