Chocolate giant Thorntons is due to shut all its shops axeing more than 600 jobs.
The high street retailer said it had been devastated by the pandemic which has kept many of its 61 stores shut for normally busy periods during Christmas and Easter.
The company, which was founded in Sheffield in 1911, was bought by Italian food company Ferrero in 2015 for £112 million.
Thorntons pumped £45 million into transforming its operations, including new-format stores and cafes, but the turnaround plan was thrown off course by the global health crisis.
The jobs blow is the latest high-profile failure on the UK high street, which has been battered by closures and the public switch to online shopping.
More than 17,500 chain store outlets disappeared from high streets last year.
Adam Goddard, retail director at Thorntons, said: “Changing dynamics of the high street, shifting customer behaviour to online, the ongoing impact of Covid-19 and the numerous lockdown restrictions over the last year - especially during our key trading periods at Easter and Christmas - has meant we have been trading in the most challenging circumstances.
“Unfortunately, like many others, the obstacles we have faced and will continue to face on the high street are too severe and despite our best efforts we have taken the difficult decision to permanently close our retail store estate.
“We will now go into full consultation with our colleagues.
“We understand that this will be an uncertain and concerning time for our colleagues and we will actively support them during this period of consultation.”
