Gap on Perth High Street has announced its sudden closure, having notified staff two days before Christmas they would be losing their jobs.
The clothing store chain will shut on January 31, giving shocked employees just six weeks notice.
The Perth store is believed to be the only Gap outlet marked for closure this month in Scotland, with 11 staff members losing their livelihoods.
One, who asked to remain anonymous, said they had spent the Christmas week writing CVs after being told they were being made redundant.
They said: “We got a provisional notice on the 19th and that went to consultation and they officially signed on the Monday, which was the 23rd.
“We’re a well-performing store so it was a shock to hear. Nobody wants to be job hunting over Christmas.
“Between Christmas and New Year, writing CVs in not something anyone wants to be doing but it’s such a short notice period you need to do it.”
Employees, some of whom had worked for the retailer for more than five years, said they were given the option of working in Edinburgh but without being given any extra travel expenses.
The closure of Gap is another blow to Perth city centre which saw a number of shops close in the last 12 months. The futures of companies operating in keystone sites such as Beales, Debenhams and Bonmarche are also uncertain.
Last year on the High Street, BrightHouse and Thorntons shut and popular bakery Goodfellow and Steven moved all its employees to the Scott Street shop.
Video above this article highlights shop closures in Perth ciy centre in the past 12 months.
Other shops, including This Little Piggy and Bead Crazy, which had been trading for 21 years and 14 years respectively also closed down in the city centre.
Most of the sites remain vacant.
Staff at Gap fear they will struggle to find other employment in the retail sector given the current climate.
The employee said: “So many shops are closing down and because Perth is such a small place you’re up against people you’ve worked with for ages.”
Perth City Centre SNP councillor Eric Drysdale said he was thinking of the employees affected by the closure.
“(It is) Dreadful news that another clothing retailer, Gap, is to close its Perth city centre store at the end of January.
“Thoughts are with the staff, especially at this time of year.”
Gap has been contacted for comment.
