A WINCHESTER city centre shop will close its doors today after less than a year of trading.

Mooch, which is part of card and gift retailer Cardzone, is offering discounts of up to 50 per cent on merchandise before it shuts permanently on Saturday, July 13.

One member of staff said: “It’s the second time I’ve been made redundant in 18 months. When you work full time it’s hard to look for another job.

“It’s a shame because we felt like we were just establishing our customer base.”

READ MORE: Mooch: Stationery and gift shop in Winchester to close

The store is offering discounts of up to 50 per cent (Image: Sebastian Haw)

All the merchandise left in the shop in St George's Street will be recycled to other Cardzone stores.

Among the customers sifting through the last-minute bargains was Christina Petridou, 42.

SEE MORE: Mooch moving into former Paperchase unit in Winchester

When asked what she thought of Mooch’s closure, she said: “It’s only been here a very short time and it’s just a bit worrying how quickly shops are shutting on the high street."

Mooch moved into the same unit which had been occupied for over a decade by Paperchase at the end of July 2023.

“Definitely around here there have been a lot of shops coming and going," Christina said. "A lot of the stuff that’s sold here, you can get in other shops on the high street in Winchester, it’s not like they sell specific things here that you can’t get anywhere else.

“We’ve got a lot of things like phone shops opening and about 5,000 bubble tea shops, so I don’t know what they’re going to end up doing. I just hope it’s something that does well and closes some of the gaps that we’ve got in the market at the moment.”