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15 jobs will be lost when the St John Healthcare shop closes - with 13 of those staff currently working full time and two part time.
The shop on the Rohais - which is run by St John Commercial Services and is separate to the ambulance services - is closing after falling victim to economic challenges including the rising cost of living, the retail climate, and a combination of other "unavoidable factors".
The decision to close the shop was announced on Friday with a pledge that staff are being supported through the closing process. The closure date is yet to be confirmed.
The St John Commercial Services Ltd. board of directors said it was their decision to close it, having "considered a range of strategic options to ensure the ongoing viability of the company", but they said "despite the best efforts of committed managers and their team, this has not proved feasible at acceptable levels of risk".
The St John Commercial Services arm continues to run the training services and the community library at the ambulance station on the Rohais while the ambulance services are separate and also continue to run as normal.
Pictured: The Healthcare Shop and St John Training Services are a separate entity to the St John Ambulance Guernsey charity and the St John Ambulance & Rescue Service.
Chairman of the board of St John Commercial Services, Ben Le Huray, said it was a very hard decision to make, explaining that "it is with sadness and regret that we have had to make this very difficult decision."
He added that it had been a "terrible, soul-searching process for all involved".
Mr Le Huray said the board will be supporting the staff as they work their notice and look for new roles.
“Our thoughts are with the Healthcare staff who are a truly dedicated and hardworking team. We will be providing them with ongoing support at this uncertain and difficult time. We are also working through the implications for customers and suppliers in as constructive and supportive a manner as possible, in order to minimise the impact of this decision.”
John Hollis, Knight Commander and chairman of the Commandery of St John in Guernsey added that he also saw it as a very difficult decision but one that was the only viable option at this time.
“This is a terribly sad but unavoidable decision which the SJCS board concluded they had to take, at a horrible time for all affected, especially after all the efforts by many to pursue alternative ways forward," he explained.
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