Local businesses said the news of a large company's office closure in Nottingham will have an impact on their trade.
Deloitte announced that it will close its Nottingham office to move to working from home practices, affecting around 160 employees.
Businesses in Mansfield Road, near the company's base in Woodborough Road, said the news comes as a blow to the industry which is already struggling.
Ozkan Kaya, Manager at City Off License in Mansfield Road, said: "We usually have a lot of office workers who come in here, so this will impact us.
"It is one of those problems which we have to live with at the moment. It will get better but it will take time.
"I don't blame Deloitte because it whatever the company feels is right for their employees.
"It is good to have the students here at the moment, without them it would be like a ghost town."
Georgia Fyfe, who works at the Rose of England pub, said staying open is already a "struggle" for the business.
The 23-year-old said: "Nobody is coming into town now, people are spending their time at home. We are on the bus route and we usually get loads of people coming into town for a pint or two.
"This whole pandemic has caused too many issues and the government has put too many barriers in place for the hospitality industry.
"It makes it hard for people to come in."
She said in normal times drinkers would come into the pub for a pint after work.
A member of staff at Plava Laguna Breakfast, also in Mansfield Road, said the business has also taken a hit while office workers have been at home.
Atanas Dinitrof said the Deloitte closure and other office workers not returning to the area will "definitely have an effect on the business".
He said: "It is very quiet at the moment. We are right next to the city centre and there are a lot of offices nearby. Workers would make orders on the app or come in for lunch.
"People are struggling with money too. Mansfield Road is very quiet, even at the weekends now."
Stephen Griggs, Deloitte UK managing partner, said: "We are proposing our Gatwick, Liverpool, Nottingham and Southampton offices will permanently close and the firm is consulting with Deloitte people based out of these offices to move to a permanent homeworking contract.
"Everyone based in these locations will continue to be employed by Deloitte and any proposed change is to our ‘bricks and mortar’, not our presence in these regions.
"We remain committed to these regional markets and will continue our close relationships with our clients, society partners and communities, just without a physical building.”
