Business experts say the two M&S stores which are set to close in the county could either be snapped up by another large retailer or turned into smaller shops or even re-developed.

The retail giant announced plans today to close its Ashford and Deal high street stores which leaves 41 workers uncertain about their jobs in Ashford and 45 in Deal.

But the company says that most are expected to be redeployed.

Last May, the company confirmed it would close about 100 stores across the country over the next four years.

In Ashford there is still a Foodhall in Warren Retail Park and the Outlet store at the Designer Outlet centre, in Kimberley Walk.

The Ashford store, which is closing, opened in 1934 and is a leasehold property.

People living in the Deal area can still use a new Foodhall at St James Street Retail Park in Dover.

Shoppers in both towns said they were devastated by the news of the closures.

However, Jo James from the Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce, which is based in Ashford, said the closure of the store in the town would be a real blow to the town centre.

She said: "It'll be a massive blow and will give people less reason to come into the town centre.

"Business rates and other costs are continuing to rise and even larger stores are finding it difficult to keep it viable to remain open.

"If you look at Ashford, we'd want to replace it with something different instead of relying on a larger store.

"It's quite a big space for a smaller independent shop to take over.

"I'd want to look at whether something could be done with it similar to the Park Mall scheme, with smaller stores sharing services within the unit.

"We've got to have a few key brands as anchors in the town centre, like Debenhams, as they pull people in.

"It would be great to have all of the big brands in the town, but the problem is that when they leave the town they leave a large space to fill.

"I'd like to see something that's maybe a bit different to other towns as the town centre needs to stand out.

"It's an opportunity to find something different that puts Ashford on the map as a shopping destination.

"If you have a look at a store like Primark, it's definitely a boost to a town.

"But you have Primarks in Maidstone, Folkestone and Canterbury, and you have to question whether they would consider coming to Ashford when they have so many nearby outlets.

"Also I would question whether that space would be big enough for a Primark, as I don't think it would be when compared to their other Kent stores.

"The M&S Foodhall opened not too long ago on Simone Weil Avenue, and perhaps that had an impact and caused a drop in food sales at the town centre shop."

Peter Jull, chairman of Deal and Walmer Chamber of Trade, said he had concerns about the future of the whole high street.

The store in Deal was opened in 1937 and is a leasehold property.

Mr Jull said: "It was always understood that the Deal store outperformed what should be expected of a catchment area the size of Deal, but clearly things have changed.

"The loss of an anchor store like M&S gives cause for concern for the future vitality of the whole high street."

Mark Coxon director and business space expert from Caxtons Chartered Surveyors, added: "They may be re-occupied by another chain.

"If not subject to their size they could be let in part to smaller retailers or maybe redeveloped."

An Marks and Spencer spokesman said of the Ashford and Deal staff: "M&S will be speaking to each colleague individually and will work hard to redeploy or offer redeployment to colleagues, and it is expected the majority of colleagues will stay with M&S."