WHSmith staff have been left in limbo amid concerns the company will pull out of Dundee completely when the doors are closed on its Overgate store next month.
The retail giant will disappear from the shopping centre on June 10, and The Courier understands the company has concluded there are “no viable alternatives” for it in the city.
An insider said the company had decided to quit the Overgate when its lease expires rather than continue after a dispute with operators regarding the costs.
However, it is also understood the stationer has already carried out a review to see if there was an alternative outlet in the city.
Since the announcement of the closure WHSmith have refused to comment on the future of the dozens of people employed at the shop, but admitted they were in consultation with staff.
Despite this, a move out of the city will be decisive for many threatened employees who wish to remain in Dundee.
The company has similarly refused to confirm it has concluded there was “no viable alternative” to the Overgate store, as has been reported to The Courier.
Alison Henderson, chief executive of Dundee and Angus Chamber of Commerce, said it would be a shame to lose the major retailer from Dundee.
She said: “I’m really surprised there isn’t an alternative option for them.
“It would be a real shame for WHSmith to pull out of the city, especially when others are looking to invest and expand in Dundee.
“We are seeing other companies coming in, opening up with the High Street and in Dundee generally.
“There are other options certainly within the High Street and other places in Dundee.”
The company still has a small kiosk in Ninewells and at Dundee Railway Station, but it is not known if they will attempt to rent one of the retail units in the new station when it is completed in 2017.
Ms Henderson added that the closure of the firm’s main store in the city would leave “quite a gap in the Overgate with a two-floor store empty”.
WHSmith’s has been in the Overgate since August 2000, and a spokeswoman for the centre said a survey would have to be carried out before it could be re-let.
She added: “The landlord and leasing agents for the Overgate have been in constant dialogue with WHSmiths over the last few months on the lease negotiations, unfortunately between the relevant parties they were unable to agree a new lease.
“In the interim period this will indeed leave a large unit within the centre.
“When the works are completed we will be actively targeting potential retailers and we are confident that the Overgate is a financially attractive proposition for incoming businesses.”