Valletta clothing store and “household name” L-Amerikan on Monday closed its doors for good.

The news was first shared by Facebook page Belt Valletta, which said that Monday marked the “end of L-Amerikan’s era, yet another Valletta family-owned store that is closing for the last time”.

The post thanked the store’s owners for their service throughout the years, and wished them well for the future, before adding that it is a “shame that these genuine and varied commercial icons are making way for today’s monotone and repetitive stores”.

Over recent months, a number of stores in the capital have either closed down or else announced plans to do so in the near future, with these ranging from Butlers to Tal-Hwawar.

Brothers Noel Cachia and Carmel Cachia have owned and managed L-Amerikan for the last 40 years, being the last of the family’s four generations to run the shop.

“For four generations, my family, come rain or shine, opened its doors in Republic Street, Valletta, and welcomed anyone and everyone to our shop L-Amerikan,” Noel wrote on social media.

“I would like to deeply thank all our loyal customers for continuing to shop at our premises, as without you we wouldn’t have lasted this long,” he remarked, before thanking those that worked for the store over the years. “We never called you employees, but a part of our family, as without you we wouldn’t be who we are today, a household name,” he explained.

“It has been my pleasure and also my family’s pleasure in welcoming you to our shop. Even though the sign L-Amerikan will no longer be up on Republic Street, I am sure it will never be forgotten,” he added.

“I will never stop being Noel L-Amerikan, and neither will my family ever stop being called Tal-Amerikan,” he concluded.

Aside from selling clothing for all age groups, the store also became known as a meeting point for supporters of the city’s football club, Valletta FC, where souvenirs and match tickets were also sold.

While many on social media wished the owners well for the future, others highlighted that this marks “yet another loss” in terms of the stores that have become synonymous with Valletta over the years.

“Such a shame that we have lost another part of the city. Valletta continues to be deprived of these iconic stores that used to decorate the capital,” one commentor wrote.

“Valletta has been destroyed. The iconic stores that made a visit to Valletta worth it during my childhood and teenage years have now all closed. L-Amerikan was the last one to avoid the confusion of progress. When you enter the city today, all you see are cafeterias, bars, and restaurants,” another said.