Shelves once brimming with toys, DVDs, children's clothes and household products lay empty, while the only items left to buy were fixtures and fittings at discount prices and a few stray boxes of pic'n' mix. Welcome to Woolworths in 2009.

Shelves once brimming with toys, DVDs, children's clothes and household products lay empty, while the only items left to buy were fixtures and fittings at discount prices and a few stray boxes of pic'n' mix. Welcome to Woolworths in 2009.

The last 200 UK branches of the much-loved store closed their doors for the final time yesterday, ending almost 100 years of retail history, and leaving more than 27,000 staff members out of a job.

At Woolies in Byres Road, Glasgow, an institution on the west end's busiest shopping street for 50 years, the atmosphere on the final day of trading was sad and muted. Just a month ago, when the closing down sale was at full throttle, queues snaked around the aisles as pre-Christmas shoppers scrambled to bag the bargains. Yesterday, only a few customers came through the doors, most to say goodbye and good luck to members of staff they had known for years.

The shelves were just as deserted as the aisles. Only a few products remained unsold, including around 20 lost-looking plastic dolls, a few dated compilation CDs and a basket of children's plimsolls. The shelves themselves could be bought for as little as £2.50. Anything left would be given to the Salvation Army.

Shopper Janice Docherty picked up a few last-minute bargains, including a couple of DVDs for her three children. But she admitted the main reason she visited the shop was nostalgia.

"It's terribly sad," said the 36-year-old student, who lives in the south side of Glasgow. "I often come in here with my kids to buy sweets and pencils. No doubt another big retailer like Tesco will buy the site. But it just won't be the same."

Perhaps the most poignant sight, however, was the big board, erected by staff, showing messages of support from colleagues, friends and customers around the country. "We may face the final curtain, but we did it our way," reads one. Another says: "signing off on January 6, signing on by January 7." One simply states: "We leave with our heads held high."

A senior member of staff, who did not want to be named, admitted that locking the doors for the final time would be an emotional moment. "I'm sure there will be a few tears," she said. "The staff here have been fantastic despite the awfulness of the situation. We're all going for a final drink together after work, then we'll all go our separate ways.

"Most of us are feeling pretty positive about the future. We've all started looking for jobs, though no-one has been lucky yet. Hopefully, a year from now we will all be happy in new careers."