Murphy Street business Inside Living will close its doors at the start of April, as Melbourne-based owner Jenny Morcombe heads into retirement.

A closing down sale has been under way since last week, and according to Jenny "has been going gangbusters", as locals including the store's many loyal customers drop in to say farewell and make a final purchase.

A social media post at the start of last week announcing the closure resulted in messages expressing everything from dismay at the news to gratitude for what the store has provided, as well as enquiries from four locals about purchasing the business.

"I tried to sell in 2022-'23, but there were no takers, then my husband Greg got sick and sadly passed away, and it's taken me 18 months to get my head around everything," Jenny said.

"I decided to close down, and now we've had some people making enquiries.

"I would be really happy if someone takes it on, it gives you a bit of heart that it might continue."

Jenny moved to the North East 22 years ago after marrying Greg, who operated a store in Beechworth.

"I had never been in retail; before then, I had worked at a yacht club organising yacht racing.

"But one of our reps from Maxwell & Williams suggested we should open a shop in Wangaratta, and we opened 19 years ago," she said.

Jenny, who has been based in Melbourne for about seven years, said it was the people she had employed and met through the store that had kept her involved.

"The customers have been amazing, and the girls who work for me and have worked for me," she said.

"I can't express what they mean to me - they have basically run the shop for me since I moved to Melbourne."

The business has employed about 20 - mostly female - staff over the 19 years, and currently has seven local staff, including two young women taking gap years.

"One has been working for me since she was 16 - it's wonderful to have these young people be able to get jobs and learn about working in a small business," Jenny said.

"My staff have a lot of knowledge about products and how to look after them, and we've always tried to cater for lots of things and order them in when needed - that's good customer service."

As well as the connections made, Jenny said she had loved the location of the store in Murphy Street close to other local businesses, and relished the chance to source items which helped people furnish their homes or find the perfect gift.

She's seen changes in the way people are shopping, saying the current economic climate meant customers were buying more practical items and tending more to kitchen-based items as they cooked more often at home.

Jenny urged locals to continue supporting local businesses.

"It is really important for a country town, so as much as you can, don't buy online - buy local," she said.

"If locals don't support it, we won't have local business.

"I like to think that small retail will always continue; you just have to be really tuned-in to what customers want, and the pricing side when you're competing with online stores."

Jenny also echoed the concerns of fellow business owners about parking in the city's centre.

"Parking has been an issue, and I would like to see free parking in Wangaratta," she said.

As she prepares to bow out of Wangaratta business, Jenny paid tribute to her husband and his support for Inside Living.

"I couldn't have done this without my husband, he had the retail experience - you wouldn't believe it of a diesel mechanic, but he had the knowledge," she said.

While the store was closed on Tuesday to re-stock and give staff a well-earned break, the closing down sale is continuing, and customers are reminded to redeem any vouchers, lay-bys and store credits before the 2 April closing date.