THERE are generations of nostalgic Newport citizens who tend to be very loyal customers to the stalwarts of Commercial Street, companies like Wildings, BHS, Boots and Marks & Spencer. It is customers who ultimately wield the power and dictate success or failure within a company by paying the wages and contributing to the profits.

Unfortunately it appears that loyalty can be a rare commodity in the cut-throat retail business, and the desertion by Marks & Spencer of our town centre didn’t go down well with many, and now their failure to support Avana, thus leading to the loss of 600 local jobs, leaves a bitter taste.

I know it’s a free market economy and M&S are free to set up shop wherever they want and buy off whoever they wish, but so are we free to shop wherever we want and boycott whoever we wish. It may not have any real effect, but it can feel good!

Steve Delahaye Bassaleg Road Newport