One of the mainstays of retailing in Douglas has announced when it will shut.

Outdoor clothing shop Newsons, which is in Strand Street, released a statement today.

It reads: 'We have been planning to leave Strand Street for some time and although it has taken a little time for things to fall into place, we can now confirm that our final day of opening will be February 19.'

It said that a UK chain would be taking on the lease of the shop but didn't say who that would be, other than to say it would not be an outdoor shop or a coffee shop.

Newsons, which used to be based on the North Quay, has faced tough competition from chain shops Mountain Warehouse, Millets and Regatta, which opened at the end of the year,

The Newsons statement adds: 'There have been lots of lovely customers in over the past months asking about the future of the company, your support honestly means so much to us as a local business and we will endeavour to continue to provide the best service we can to the island.

'We've invested a great deal of time and resources into developing our online platforms and in the present economic climate we feel that our best chance to compete and offer the best prices we can is by operating online only for the time-being.

'However we plan to offer full island-wide delivery and collections and we'll be on the end of the phone if you'd prefer to make your order this way.'

The wholesale operation will continue unchanged.

The statement ends: 'We'd like to finish by thanking the Manx public for all your support over the years. We feel truly valued as a business and your support as we have adapted to suit the ever-changing market has been unwavering. We hope you continue to stick with us for the next chapter.'

To see a previous story about this shop, click here.