British retail institution Woolworths closed the doors on a century of trading as the latest victim of the financial crisis shut down the last of its stores on Tuesday.
The collapse of Woolworths sees 27,000 workers lose their jobs.
Staff wept outside the branch in Warrington, north-west England, as their store wound down.
The company's 807 stores are a feature on almost every British high street.
Administrators Deloitte gave the last 200 still operating a final day of selling off stock at heavily reduced prices.
Even the fixtures and fittings were up for grabs as empty shelves were whisked away.
Woolies - as it is affectionately known - used to be stuffed with mothers looking for cheap toys and stationery, children bagging up handfuls of lollies and teenagers buying the latest hit singles.
But the chain has been struggling for years and the credit crunch has finally crippled the clothes-to-confectionery retailer.
Woolworths went into administration in November and Deloitte failed to find a buyer.
At the Woolworths store in Lewes, near the south coast, staff said they would be having a drinks party after the doors shut.
Employee Kim Nichols, 31, said: "We'll sit together for an hour or so and say our goodbyes in private. It's just a bit of sentiment, we can all have a little cry together."
Meanwhile, the BBC reported that another high street institution, Marks and Spencer, was to announce 1,000 job cuts when it makes a trading update on the Christmas period to the London Stock Exchange at 7am local time on Wednesday (1800 AEDT Wednesday).
M and S, Britain's largest fashion retailer, declined to comment.
The company employs about 70,000 staff.
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