The manager of a business improvement group said he was 'saddened' at the news that another town centre high street shop will be closing its doors.
Lakeland Leather, a national retailer that began trading in the 1950s, announced last week that it will soon be shutting its Kendal, Carlisle and Gretna stores.
There is currently no official final closure date set for any of the stores.
The Kendal store is located at 24 Stricklandgate.
Reacting to the specialist leather and sheepskin retailers' announcement, Kendal Business Improvement District Manager Peter Brendling, said: “Kendal BID is saddened to see another national retailer close its doors in Kendal.
“Particularly, one that is associated with this area.
“Without branches, retailers open themselves up to much greater online competition.
“Whilst it is not good to have empty shops on the high street, Kendal is fortunate to have a strong community of independent retailers, offering great service and unique products.”
Lakeland Leather has its origins in Cumbria but it now sells its specialist leather and sheepskin items at stores in Chester, Southport, Beverley, and York.
Although the retailer is closing down its Kendal store, its Keswick, Bowness or Ambleside stores will remain open.
On the closures, a spokesperson for Felldale Retail, which operates stores for Lakeland Leather, said: “Like many retailers, we are operating within an increasingly challenging trading environment, with rising costs and lower footfall continuing to impact parts of the high street.
“We have taken the difficult decision to close our stores in Carlisle, Gretna and Kendal due to lease expiry.
"We are now consulting with staff about alternatives to closure and will also be working with landlords and other stakeholders to seek cost reductions which may allow stores to be saved.
“As such no closure date has been set.”
The spokesperson said that the company hopes that “some store teams will be able to relocate to our Keswick, Bowness or Ambleside locations” as it is “committed to supporting them through this process”.
According to Felldale Retail, Lakeland Leather as a whole remains in profit.
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