Debenhams has gone bust. Will you miss it?

kittylester

news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-debenhams-owners-draw-up-plan-for-department-store-chains-liquidation-12049794

A link

Thanks for the link @kittylester.

But everyone, please read the article, not just the headline. They've not gone bust. Admittedly, it doesn't look particularly rosy for them but writing them off prematurely won't help.....

My dil worked for Debenhams and was told several weeks ago that she was being made redundant

I quite often shop in Debenhams. They have two branches near me and would have to go to Oxford Street for John Lewis. One branch is still open. I wonder when it will close.
I had a John Lewis at Home branch near but that closed since lockdown. I wonder how many other shops will go.

Thank you for supplying a link kittylester I was busy charging up my iPad! It’s been playing up. Apologies to you humptydumpty for not being able to supply the link earlier.

Mike Ashley wanted to move everything to online ordering and store closures which Debenhams managers didn't want but I bet they're kicking themselves now.

I wish all employees the best in finding a new job.

I don’t think the closure was just down to Covid. These big stores must cost a fortune in rent, rates and running costs.

I never found much for myself, clothes wise, but DH bought jeans, shirts, jumpers, trousers, often reduced, and good quality.

Will miss it on his behalf.

I used to like Debenhams a lot. About five years ago some bright spark decided that the Debenhams stores should be re-vamped.

Having spent millions of pounds, thought the the one in Oxford Street ended up looking cheap and nasty when previously it had been a very pleasant department store. Presumably the same thing happened to other stores. What a total waste of money, which no doubt contributed to their demise.

It’s a shame, I agree, and I’m also sorry for the staff losing their jobs. My local town has Debenhams in its shopping centre, over four floors, and has had the whiff if despair about it for a couple of years.

I used to buy the odd thing in there from time to time, mainly their own range of knitwear, particularly when they had their regular reductions (desperate!), but it lost its way years ago, I think, and couldn’t keep up with modern times.

I think most department stores are going to suffer from the Covid fallout, even John Lewis is culling staff and closing stores, so none of them are immune, sadly.

Debenhams has not been as good as it used to be for a while, but I will miss it. Sorry for all those who have lost their jobs too.

Yes I will miss Debenhams. Such a nice shop to browse in and good sales too. I even bought things at full price there!

We went into our city centre store a couple of times in the run up to Christmas. It was so devoid of customers (and staff!) that you almost expected tumbleweed to come rolling past you! Others said the same. We felt the writing was on the wall then.

The Debenhams in town was only there for a year or so. Big fanfare when it opened but often no staff in sight and only tiny and extra large sizes on the rails. Their opening led to the demise of the only other long standing family owned store so now there’s little point in going in to town. The rates alone were staggeringly high, plus rent, commercial rates for heating and lighting etc before the wages.

We have one in our local town centre and I will miss it. My DH likes their clothing range very much and will also miss it.

No. Never used Debenhams. I like John Lewis or M&S. .

I will miss it in Chester. It's situated in the old iconic Browns of Chester building. Very sad and i'm sorry for all the people who will lose their jobs if this is the end of the line.

I wonder what’s going to happen to all these huge empty department stores? Not office space, nor banks I suppose as there isn’t a need. Revamp as housing/apartments in city centres? Parking spaces would need to be allocated.

I bet we wouldn’t recognise our city centres in 10 years’ time.

Debenhams has been my “go to” store when I needed something special and also my summer T-shirts. Makeup, perfume, trousers that fit me properly, oh dear you name it and they provided it. I always had to travel fifty miles to get there but it was worth it. Very sad

I won’t miss Debenhams, but I’m very sorry for the staff who are left without jobs at this difficult time.

I will miss M+Co who have just closed their store in my little town, although there is another one fifteen minutes drive away. Again I feel really sorry for the staff who have lost their jobs.

Of course I'm sorry for the staff, but I gave up shopping at our local store a good while back. The customer service wasn't the best. The final straw for me was when I tried in vain to book the personal shopper when I needed a mother of the bride outfit. They didn't get back to me though I emailed, left phone messages and even called at the store when I was passing. I gave up and went to Harvey Nicholls, where the help I got was superb.

Debenhams is my go to store for so many things and Christmas presents. As far as I know the store is still going a short bus ride away. I have been buying clothes etc on line from them since the virus precautions started.

Debenhams nearest to me was a dingy down market shop badly in need of a refurb. This, combined with staff who only wanted to chat about their social life put lots of people off going in. It’s still sad for the staff who might lose their jobs. The high street is definitely changing but unfortunately not for the better.

I used to enjoy their sale lingerie rails and bought makeup there occasionally. But other than that, out of my price range. I stopped buying from them once Mike Ashley took over as the place as other posters have said it because it turned into a crowded jumble sale but also I was concerned if they went under I wouldn’t be able to return purchases.

Debenhams lost the plot, it wasn't somewhere that I automatically thought of when I needed supplies. Their stores went on for twenty years following the collapse of C&A. But the only difference to me, between the two companies, was the name above the store.

It's often argued that the internet is the death knell of the High Street. Woolworths went long before the internet took off, BHS it might be argued, was a victim and stores like Owen Owen & Allders were all High Street pre-internet casualties.

The current favourite is The Range, will it too go the way of the others? Or once their founder, Chris Dawson, either takes the money, from selling his company, or pops his mortal coil, The Range will become something different. You only have to look at Tesco, M&S, Sainsburys and others to see that the company changes under a new head honcho. Get it right and the shoppers flock in, but alas, not too many get it right.

I think our local one has long gone

I assume they're still online

Haven't bought much from them over the years

Quite liked going in though, as it was like stepping back into the 1950s

like stepping back into the 1950s

And that was probably part of the problem Oopsminty

Urmstongran

I wonder what’s going to happen to all these huge empty department stores? Not office space, nor banks I suppose as there isn’t a need. Revamp as housing/apartments in city centres? Parking spaces would need to be allocated.

I bet we wouldn’t recognise our city centres in 10 years’ time.

The Beatties (House of Fraser) has been bought for student accommodation. They’ll be able to roll out of bed and into the local pubs and clubs. It was so big that it was easy to get lost and has a coffee shop, a self service restaurant and a silver service restaurant though that closed down quite a while ago - not so many “ladies who lunch” these days!