Matsuzakaya department store closed its doors last night, becoming the latest in a string of Japanese shops to fall victim to the retail slump.
The closure drew 23 years of business in Hong Kong to a close, leaving 155 workers jobless.
Staff tried to keep up flagging spirits, with some taking photos of each other at the Causeway Bay building.
'A few people have found jobs, but many others have not. They are worried, but there's nothing they can do. Some sales ladies said they would go back to being a housewife,' said an employee called Ms Cheung.
Employees were too busy working in the final days to look for another job, said store security worker Lam Koon-bo.
'It's hard to find another job in this economy. We just have to take it one day at a time,' said the 55-year-old Mr Lam, who said his children were not old enough to support themselves.
'But wherever there's work, I'll do it.' The store has enjoyed brisk sales in the past few days as shoppers flooded the building to snap up bargains.