Ashford's H&M store will close its doors for the final time today – with shoppers told to head to the chain's Canterbury shop instead.

The Swedish fashion retailer has been part of the County Square shopping centre since the site's £60m extension opened in March 2008.

But the two-storey unit will shut for good at 4pm, ending almost exactly 14 years of trading in the town.

A sign in the front window says shoppers can find everything they need in the Canterbury store, which is based in the city's Whitefriars shopping centre.

A spokesman for the chain said: "At H&M we continuously review our store portfolio, the decision to close the Ashford store was part of the long-term strategy to ensure we are offering our customers the best possible shopping experience in the right locations.

"Customers can continue to shop for quality fashion at the best price at our nearby stores or online at hm.com."

The closure of H&M is another blow to County Square, which saw Debenhams leave in January 2020 and will lose Next in the autumn.

A spokesman for the centre said: "We are obviously very sad to see H&M leave us as they’ve been part of the centre for so many years.

"We hope the staff are able to find other roles elsewhere and will be happy to support anyone still looking for a position if we know of other vacancies in the centre."

KentOnline revealed earlier this week how new owners have been found for County Square, which was put on the market for £13.5m last year.

Jo James, chief executive of the Sevington-based Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce, says the new team in charge needs to be given time to settle in.

“With continued turbulence in the retail sector, town centres across the UK are having to find new uses to sit alongside the traditional retail offer and Ashford is no different,” she said.

“The new owners are going to have to work hard to keep the existing retailers onboard, while trying to attract new retailers.

“They need time to develop their strategy and approach; it isn’t about short-term gain, what County Square needs is a sustainable strategy for the future.”

Woodchurch-based Rob Woods, a former town centre manager for Ashford, Folkestone and Hastings, says he is now concerned about the town’s independent traders.

“While it’s disappointing that two well-known brands in H&M and Next have recently announced their decision to close, it’s unhelpful to assume this is a reflection of the town or a negative reaction to new owners,” he said.

“It is likely to be a considered estimation of how much space they will need to satisfy face-to-face demand in the future, where they see their growth markets and to what extent their current premises can aid them to integrate online and physical shopping.

“With 11,000 store closures in 2021 alone nationally I think it’s inevitable we’ll see more in 2022.

“My concern for Ashford now is the sustainability of the independent traders that help to define its character. They can’t rely on the footfall generated by the national names and so-called anchor stores as in the past.

“They can, however, learn from the experiences of the chain stores and move towards a business model that reflects the change in buying habits, benefits from both types of shopping and encourages loyalty.

“Some may need support to do that but expertise is there in abundance in Ashford.”

For a long-read archive feature looking back at the history of County Square, click here