Wellchester, the retail business that launched in a former Woolworths store after the chain’s demise, is closing down.

The closure follows the departure of Claire Robertson last month who helped launch and run the company for three years. She was the former manager of the Woolworths store before it collapsed into administration in 2009.

Wellworths general manager Robert Power said: “We’d like to thank staff, customers and suppliers for their help and support over the last three years.”

He declined to comment on why the business was closing.

The retailer was originally named Wellworths but was forced to switch to Wellchester in 2009 by Shop Direct, the owner of the Woolworths brand.