Tearful customers said goodbyes on the final day of trade on Saturday.

"I'd love to thank them for all being so loyal and to say sorry we're not going to be there for them," Mr McKay said.

"Things weren't going to improve for us, there was no point hanging around.

"We had a fabulous business up until probably two and a half years ago, with all the roadworks.

"All they have to do is stick up a detour sign and people stop coming because it's too hard, and there's about 10 car parks gone from out the front of our place."

Mr McKay had been on High Street eight years to the day that he closed.

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"I started in 1974 in Melbourne and headed back to my home town and worked there for eight years or so, and then bought a butcher shop just out of Horsham and ran that for close to 20 years," he said.

"We came over here about 14 years ago and I was working at Locky's Countryside Meats.

"My daughter said, 'let's open a shop' and we refitted the former Jensen's Meats.

"The greatest part about having your own shop is your children and grandkids coming in for a chat and a lolly, that's one of the things I will miss."

While he's looking forward to some free time and a fresh start, Mr McKay regretted there would be one less specialist butcher in Wodonga.

"There's a lot of what I call 'supermarket butchers' - there's not many where you can ask for a hunk of meat that's been hanging up instead of it coming from a plastic bag," he said.

"People don't realise that once all these specialty shops are gone, you have big shops that completely take over and there will be no opposition.

"Now I'm retired, I'm going to have a break and then I might go out and get a job.

"I have a lovely wife who'd I like to spend more time with."

The butcher shop, owned by another proprietor, will be auctioned by L.J Colquhoun Dixon.