Kirkcaldy M&S closure: Shoppers react to the shock news

Many have claimed that this news is the final death knell for the struggling high street, which has already seen the closure of Next and BHS in recent years.

On the high street and online, the news came as a huge blow to shoppers who have grown up with M&S in Kirkcaldy’s town centre.

Here’s what some of our readers had to say on Facebook:

Joyce Hobbs: The high street is doomed, what is going on with the town council !!!

Irene Ramsay Waddell: No food stores on high street now .. great. Why are they bothering wasting 1.4 million on the prom?

Mark Mcgowan: It makes sense. The retail park is going to be easier to use with free parking. Give it 10 years I bet no one bothers about the high street and it’ll probably be more tourist driving with small shops, cafes, etc

Kirsty Alexandra Bell: This is horrific! My 75yo gran lives down that way and since Tesco shut, it’s the only place she can get her shopping!

Michelle Palmer: Well that’s it then, high street no more, there’s gonna be nothing left. So sad.

Susie Clark: What I am not understanding is why is everything moving to Glenrothes? We lost our direct bus from KY-Dundee on the grounds Glenrothes needed the link and we had a railway station! If I wanted to go to Dundee by train I would but now not having the choice is annoying!! I don’t want to shop in Glenrothes or out of town retail parks! Sadly M&S, along with everyone else is all about money and not about the damage to a community their business decision does! I will now no longer be shopping in any M&S!

Claire Simpson Fernie: Absolutely shocking!!! I go there every Saturday for lunch! And shop in there for the majority of my clothes!!!

Dougie Thomson: It was only a matter of time. Kirkcaldy High Street will soon be a centre for charity shops and coffee shops only.

Claire Valente: This is disgusting why WASTE so much money on the prom when high street is being devasted

Marie-Louise Jones: High street dying... Coffee shops and charity shops. I’ve tried to run businesses here doesn’t work.

James Keet: Town is ruined unless you want a pint, sausage roll, anything for a pound, coffee or a charity shop. They need to lower business rates to nothing and encourage them all back

Victoria Stokoe: This is just awful news for the high street! It makes me really sad as the high street is completely ruined. A strip club opening and shop that has been on our high street for years closing its doors!

Colin Mcdonald: Couldn’t care less. High streets are dead. You can’t change it or fix it. People want to shop online and at retail parks now. Should build a new unit up the retail park for the small businesses to rent and close the high streets...

Fiona Forbes: Turning the High Street area into quality housing with sea views might be a better use than forever trying to flog the dead horse of trying to get enough retail back in.

Patricia Hutt: Council should be ashamed off them selves high rates & parking prices raised for what no bloody descent shops spend money on meaningless things nobody wants ...once a thriving high street no a ghost town.

Scott George: Exactly what they said they wouldn’t do when they opened at the retail park. But we all knew the truth.

Jason Smith: I remember pointing this out as soon as the foodhall opened at the retail park but I was shot down after being told it won’t close as it has a clothes section. It was only a matter of time before it happened and sadly, this could be the final nail in the coffin for our high street.

Diane Cowan: Such a shame the only decent shop that was in the high street

Graham Hill: Everyone one wants a great High Street but hardly anyone actually shops there.

Tam Bo Rutherford: Was only ever really good as a short cut to the back end of the Merkat.

Neale Doig: ‘Remember When’ is the lowest form of conversation. But seriously, reminiscing about a bygone time of casually acceptable racism and sexism whilst the high street was the place to be isn’t going to bring it back. Stop greeting and embrace change. The idea of the high street is dying all over the UK, not just Kirkcaldy.

John Duff: Shocking there will be less and less people going down the high street, so sad for Kirkcaldy, I have to say this will be the final nail in the coffin.

Ian Paterson: Mark my words, that will be the final nail in the coffin for Kirkcaldy high street. Shocking that things have been allowed to go this far. The council should have slashed business rates in a bid to get new shops in and retain existing ones down the high street. Nice one Fife council hope your proud

Derek Hall: Can the last person to leave kirkcaldy switch off the lights?