Letter from the editor: Not just any store but M&S

For over 80 years it has been a fixture, almost like one of the family, the place you turn to at certain times.

From baby clothes to school uniforms, most of us have clothed our children from its racks. Whether it be a summer dress or a winter coat, it was always somewhere you checked out before making a purchase.

If someone unexpectedly went into hospital where did you more often than not dash to for the new nightclothes and slippers? Why good old M&S of course.

However, it seems the powers that be in the company’s hierarchy have deemed Falkirk surplus to requirements in its bid to be a leaner, meaner retailer.

The talk of consultation over its future is merely paying lip service, going through the necessary motions.

But have these company bosses taken stock of the impact such a move could have on this community and others facing a similar loss of the popular store?

Probably not. It will all be figures on a balance sheet.

However, it’s not. It’s about real people. Those who work there, many for a great many years, and the people they serve.

To say the loss of M&S will have a huge impact on Falkirk takes nothing away from the growing number of strong independent stores flourishing in the town.

For their future and all the other businesses, we need to have an M&S.