Last Friday was officially the last day of trading, with high rent and a difficult retail environment the reasons for the closure of the St Andrew St store.
Save the Children Dunedin secretary Anne Pentecost said the decision was made in February this year to close the store.
''With the current lease due to expire in July already, we made the decision in February to close early.
''The money we were spending on rent can now instead be given straight to the charity which we all felt was a much better use of it.''
Long-standing volunteers gathered at the store on Friday to mark the closure, and to receive certificates acknowledging their service from Wellington-based Save the Children chief executive Heather Hayden.
''I am pleased to be here with you on what is a tough day, and I want to acknowledge all of you for your contribution over the years,'' she said.
The efforts of dedicated shop manager Jocelyn Clarke, who has run the store and co-ordinated the volunteers for the past 15 years, were praised.
Save the Children Dunedin branch president Clare Dorking told The Star the retail situation had become increasingly difficult in recent years.
''Times have changed, and sadly it has become too difficult to keep the store running,'' Mrs Dorking said.
With the store being open for the past 30 years, Mrs Pentecost said she was ''devastated'' it was closing but it would not be the end of their presence in Dunedin.
''We will be looking at small pop-up opportunities in the future to continue to raise as much help and awareness as we can.
''It will be difficult without a main shop to raise funds but we are all still motivated to help the cause.''
Some of the leftover goods at the shop will be transferred to the Invercargill branch while others will be placed in storage.
