AS Cooper & Sons will be closing its Church Street store next year as the company looks to consolidate its business into its Front Street location.

Somers Cooper, managing director of AS Cooper, said the reason behind the move was to make better use of the retail space on the ground floor of its Front Street premises.

Mr. Cooper said no jobs would be lost as a result of the relocation, which will take place at the end of February 2010, with staff from the Church Street store joining their colleagues at Front Street and a moving sale held throughout the months of January and February.

"We have struggled with the two floors scenario of the Church Street location and we think we can do a better job as we bring it down to Front Street and do as much business as we can in that location," he said.

The company moved into the Church Street premises in the short-term when its Front Street building was demolished in 2005.