Fenwick has announced that it will be closing all its stores in response to the coronavirus outbreak.
The business, which is headquartered in Newcastle, confirmed in a statement that all its outlets would be shut temporarily from 6pm on Thursday.
A spokesperson said the closure was necessary in order to protect the health and wellbeing of its staff and customers as the Covid-19 crisis deepens.
The statement read: "As a family business, the health and wellbeing of our customers, our teams and our local communities is always close to our heart and in these times of great uncertainty we need to do the right thing for them by mitigating the potential spread of the coronavirus.
"We have therefore taken the very difficult decision to temporarily close all Fenwick stores to the public from 6pm on Thursday 19th March until further notice.
"You, our customers, are exceptional and we know you will understand that we have not taken this approach lightly. The doors of Fenwick have been open to customers for almost 140 years - it goes against everything in our nature to close them.
"But these aren't normal times and we find ourselves in the unique situation where shutting our doors, for the time being, is the right thing to do for our customers, our colleagues and our communities."
The company will continue to operate its online store and will keep customers updated on its social media channels.
The spokesperson added: "We thank you for your loyal support and understanding in these exceptional circumstances and look forward to welcoming you back with open arms soon."
