THE closure of a major store in Salisbury after a fanfare opening just 17 months ago has been confirmed.

When Countrywide Ltd opened its store in Bourne Retail Park in October 2015, it brought the prospect of 13 new jobs to the area and was the 68th in a line of outlets across the country providing a range of products from dog walking and horse riding supplies, to farming and outdoors products.

The current Mayor of Salisbury but then deputy, Cllr Derek Brown OBE, cut the ribbon marking the “grand opening".

Now, Countrywide has said Salisbury will be part of a series of closures as it seeks to re-position the business for “profitable growth moving forward".

A company spokesperson said: “The Salisbury store will be closed by the end of March. It is currently open for a 70 per cent off sale.”

In a press statement the company said: “Following on from the Trading Update in January, the board is continuing to take decisive action to reduce costs and improve profitability.

"As part of these changes, Countrywide announces today that 14 of its 68 stores will close by the end of March, with a proportion of sales currently transacted through those stores expected to transfer to other locations.

"This change forms an important part in re-positioning the retail business for profitable growth in the future, recognising that online will play an increasingly vital role alongside physical stores in the multichannel retail world.”