I still miss Debenhams

[ssd]

Especially at Christmas time, wandering around all the lovely displays, seeing the gift sets and the sparkly tops

Its such a shame its gone. M&S and john lewis are nice but they aren't as Christmassy as Debenhams. Not that I'm shopping for Christmas yet but i was just thinking how Debbie always put me in the mood. Online just isn't the same.

I do too op, as well as BHS and Woolies. We are getting a Bradbeers in our old Debenhams site, which I believe is a very similar set up. I'll find out in a week or so when it opens.
I remember our Debenhams used to have a Santas grotto during Christmas and I remember getting a really crappy cheap paint set but loving it.

DP and I both miss Debs - the anchor store for so many towns. DP was only the other day grumbling that there's no where in our town to get a pair jeans as both GAP and Next have gone as well.

We had a massive Lewis’s back in the day (not John Lewis) which sold everything and was always packed at weekends. It was bought out by Allders and really went downhill before closing a few years later.

When you consider the likes of Oasis and Warehouse were in Debenhams and HoF, you’d have thought the concept of shared retail space would have been a win-win for both the main store and the concessions. It’s such a shame, but I’m as guilty as anyone for buying loads online (in two sizes) then sending at least half of it back.

Jenners too, that was a lovely store for a wander.

I worked in Debenhams and hated it, our store was a terrible place to work.

DH and I were expecting them to go under long before they did - DH was still working there in 2008 when we bought our first house and it's why we took out PPI on our mortgage.

Anyway, I do miss their bras and bedding - still got some nice John Rocha duvet covers, though I'd never have afforded it without staff discount and being able get that on top of mega day discounts / getting first pick of sale stuff.

I worked in Debenhams and still miss my colleagues.

I miss the Gorgeous and Janet Reger lingerie ranges, and Jasper Conran homewares.

I don't miss the way managers constantly hounded you to persuade people to open accounts.

I miss Debenhams.
I used to go to their cafe whilst ds did his hobby. It was always clean and welcoming.
I was wearing a jumper I bought from Debenhams only this week, think it was Principles.
Liked their shoes too. Dd got her prom shoes from there.
The perfume section was good. I often bought presents from there.

We don’t have a single town centre dept store now in a town of >300,000.
Our big M and S shut in April. We have a far smaller inferior one at a bland out of town shopping centre. BHS, Debenhams, Lewis’s, Whitakers, Whiteheads, all gone. Zara shut months ago. No doubt Waterstones will go too as there’s absolutely no reason to go in town. We now have to travel to central Manchester or the Trafford centre.

Mantaray has a little sale on at the moment.

Yeah I agree, Debenhams was a big part of Christmas - although sadly I guess maybe we all only used it at that time?

I always used to buy perfume and aftershave there, it was the only place you could freely smell the testers. Now it's only Boots and the assistants have to let you into the locked cabinets.

I also miss Debenhams. I recently wanted to buy a dress for a formal occasion and really wanted to go into shops and try a few things on as my shape has changed, and I'm short. In my local town which people always visited for shopping in the past the only there were two shops with anything appropriate. One of which was Tkmaxx.

In the end I ordered several items from Debenhams online and tried on at home and then returned what I didn't want.

I loved Debenhams. I'd always go in for a wander when I was in town and rarely came out empty-handed. Now the store sits there as a sad, empty reminder. I can't even shop online as they don't ship to where I live any more.

I loved Debenhams too and not just at Christmas, my mum and I used to meet for a day out about once a month and Debenhams was always one of our favourites.
C & A had long gone by this point but I loved it there too.
And one of the Thorntons shops in Eldon Square in Newcastle had a cafe upstairs years ago, mum and I used to go there too. It just sold drinks and chocolates but it was lovely.
Ironically Debenhams as was is where the excellent Eldon Square food court used to be. I wish that was still there, Hamburg in Germany had one and it made life so much easier when everyone could just go and choose anything they wanted then return to sit together!

@Mama822 Wimpy has come back, we had one open in our town last year.

Oh yes - such a lovely shop, and a fab tearoom at the top. Jenners was wonderful 😊