THE well known Red Shop convenience store at Alexandra Hills has closed down, leaving behind more than 40 years of memories for locals.
Elders Real Estate property manager Jane Davie said the closure of the shop on the corner of Finucane and Allenby roads marked the end of an era.
"Everyone you talk to knows the Red Shop," she said. "There would be many fond memories."
Ms Davie said she would take her children to the shop about 30 years ago.
"I have great memories of dropping in there for an ice-cream.
"If the kids were good at the shops, we would drop in to the Red Shop for a treat.
"On weekends we would go fishing and picnic at Wellington Point and the Red Shop was where we would stop for a treat on the way home."
Ms Davie said the closure was almost inevitable as the business had struggled over the past 12 months.
"It's a sign of the times," she said.
"We are all looking to save a dollar. Prices are going up, while wages are staying the same."
Ms Davie said she had owned a takeaway in Redland Bay that struggled after shops opened at Victoria Point.
"We lost all our regulars because they could get everything at the shopping centres," she said.
Ms Davie said the building owners - who did not want to sell - were yet to decide whether to reconfigure the inside for a business or convert it into a home.
About five tenants have run the convenience store, the most recent for about two years.
"I don't think we'll be able to have another take-away there," she said.
"It is a shame for the tenant, who has worked so hard.
"He is 52 years old and is now looking for work."
Previous owners were robbed at least four times in about four years.
In one attempt the robber wielded a tomahawk at owner Qi Li, who tried to defend himself with a small stick that he kept behind the register after an earlier robbery.
The man was found guilty and sentenced to four years in prison.
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