Once-familiar family firms, long Lost and lamented

SINCE the creeping incursion of big-name chains into Dumfries town centre began during the 1980s, some of its long-standing family-run shops have been lost in a rising tide of competitive pricing and rising rents.

Among the first to go was Pearson's, a locally-run home furnishing business, which was established during the 1940s and went on to set up several shops across the town. Though popular, it closed for business during the 1980s with the first influx of chains.

Percy Bros, a family-run electrical business, also owned several shops in the town, including a toy shop. A familiar name for close to 60 years, it finally vanished from the high street in the early 1990s.