McKay’s,  in the city’s Queen’s Arcade off Donegal Place, specialises in an extensive range of old-fashioned sweets and is also a specialist tobacconist.

Earlier this month, McKays announced on social media: “We are closing our shop at the end of this month, after 47 years of the McKay family trading in Belfast city centre, thank you to all our customers over the years.”

Brothers Sean and Henry McKay, who married sisters Anne Marie and Deborah Murray, at one time ran four shops in and around Belfast city centre, including the well-known pipe and cigar specialist, Miss Moran in Church lane.

Sean’s daughter Natalie, who has run the Queen’s Arcade shop for the past 22 years, said the loss of footfall in the city centre has hit the business.

“The footfall in the city centre hasn’t come back from Covid. It’s coming back slowly, but not quick enough for us,” she said.

As well as selling the sweet stuff, McKay’s is one of the few established specialist tobacconists in the city centre and boasts the only walk-in humidor in Belfast.

Sean and his younger brother Henry initially worked as butchers in Galloways in the city centre before opening their own confectionery shop in Castle Lane in 1976.

They went on to own a number of premises in the city centre, including in Castle Place, Callendar Street and Miss Moran’s in Church Lane, before eventually moving into Queen’s Arcade.

While she grew up working in the family stores, Natalie eventually took over the running of the business 22 years ago.

She said more than 20 members of her immediate and extended family had worked in the various shops down the years.

While the business had three full-time staff prior to the Primark fire, Natalie has been running the store on her own in recent months.

Wiith a ten-year lease coming up for renewal, she said the prospect of signing a new decade-long lease posed too much of a risk.

“I have a young family, so the last thing I want to do is take a risk and stay for another ten years in the hope that the footfall is going to eventually come back,” she said.

“Covid has changed things for people’s lives. City centres are struggling, and I think when things become quieter in the next few months, a lot of smaller independents will close.

“The footfall just isn’t there. It’s just not the same as it was.

“We’ve worked hard, all of our family are hard workers and we’ve been very lucky to stay in business for as long as we had.

“We’re very lucky for the loyal customers who have stood beside us and we’ll miss them all dreadfully.”

Customers and former staff paid tribute to McKay’s on social media, branding the closure “the end of an era”.

Shake N Frappe on Carlisle Road in the city announced the news on social media on Wednesday, just under a year after the business was hit hard by a fire at premises next to their store.

While the Carlisle Road bar is closing, the Northland Road premises will remain open.

In a statement on social media, the dessert shop owners Rachael and Gary said they were “devastated”.

“It has unfortunately become a familiar story in the retail and small business industry in general, that the ever-increasing crippling costs of energy and stock, added to the already high costs of having a city centre shop have just pushed it towards being unviable,” they wrote.

“We haven’t had the smoothest of years as a new business opening but are so proud of what we have managed to achieve and maybe in a different economic climate we would not be taking this decision, but summer should have been our high season and we know the winter will only get even more difficult.

“Our little town has also still not fully recovered from the pandemic and we know all our customers are feeling the pinch.

“The stress and sacrifices being made in order to keep two shops afloat is having a negative impact on our family life and it’s our kids who are losing out on quality time with their parents.

“Therefore, we have made this difficult decision as a family and are doing what is right for us at this time.

“Northland Road shop (the OG shop) will be staying open as normal and we hope to be able to give it a little revamp in September so keep an eye on our fb [Facebook] page for updates on that.

“Thank you to everyone who has called in to Carlisle Road and supported us over this last year, we hope to see you all up there over the next 11 days before doors close.”

Meanwhile, Portadown café The Apple Patch announced their closure in November, saying they had made the decision due to “continually rising costs and difficulties recruiting new staff”.

“It has been truly heart-breaking to make this decision,” owner Kerry wrote.

“I really want to thank all our customers, all our staff (past and present), friends and family, neighbouring businesses, landlord and suppliers for their help and support over the past five years. It has been an exciting journey and would not have been possible without you all.”