THE countdown is on for a Darlington retail store which is closing its doors on Wednesday.

TK Maxx will move out of the town centre on February 15 and a new store is set to open at Darlington Retail Park off Yarm Road.

The unit, next door to Pets at Home, will begin trading at 9am on Thursday, February 16.

On Monday, the store was largely bereft of stock, with shoppers cleaning up what was left on the shelves.

Heavily discounted items had a further 50 per cent off when taken to the till.

One shopper, who was clutching a set of pasta jars and some kitchen utensils, said: "Most of the shelves had been cleared and what was left had been well picked over, but there were still some bargains to be had.

"I didn't really come in for anything, but it seemed a shame to leave empty-handed with prices as low as they were."

Part of the store had already been cordoned off to shoppers, while staff worked in ever decreasing circles as shelves and clothing racks were cleared.

Referring to the opening of the new Darlington Retail Park store a TK Maxx spokesperson said: “We are really excited to open our brand new store in Darlington Retail Park.

"TK Maxx is a store that offers a huge choice of great value style, for the wardrobe and the home all under one roof.

"With thousands of new items arriving each week, customers will always find something individual and special at a great price every time they visit.”