THE smiles on the faces of the staff at the Regent Street branch of Next as it closes its doors for the last time are heartening, especially since we read that all 13 members of this ‘close-knit family’ have been found jobs elsewhere within the retail giant’s stable.

But their happy approach to the closure of this 20-year fixture in the town centre belies the seriousness of the situation – that of yet another major chain pulling out of a high street which is slowly, but very surely, dying.

The Regent Street branch of Next may have been small, but it was one of the few shop fronts in Swindon’s town centre which had not changed or moved for the past two decades.

It will be interesting to see what – if anything – comes along to take its prominent place now that the shutters have gone down, although we suspect it will be yet another bargain basement store selling everything under the sun for £1 or less. Not that there’s anything wrong with value for money, but we have enough of it already.

One radical but very welcome solution might be to encourage the type of independent trade being enjoyed by the Carry On Vintage store in The Brunel. This shop started life a year ago as a temporary ‘pop-up’ shop, but business is going so well that the owners have decided to stay put.

This type of alternative, lifestyle-driven outlet is a refreshing addition to Swindon, where we have always lacked shops for the more individual dresser. Cheaper rents to encourage more just like it would not only keep Swindon shoppers in their home town, but also plug up all the empty shop fronts which can only serve to discourage visitors from ever coming back.