And there goes Debenhams too. Will we miss our high streets?

[longwayoff]

What will life be like when all the high st stores we're used to seeing aren't there any longer? Will they be just bars and coffee shops with an occasional nail bar and hairdresser? Even £shops are suffering. Will they become mad max wastelands? Housing with no shops?

Rows of charity shops!

I am quite surprised by Debenhams struggling tbh as more than some of the others they do seem to have quite a varied target audience.

They better not go though as the only approved clothes for autistic ds come from there!

I can’t even remember the last time I was in a Debenhams. I think the days of the department store are numbered. I’d love to see the high street taken over by more individual shops and businesses (instead of the same shopfronts in every high street) but that’s probably wishful thinking.

There was a thread about closing stores on here a few months back, and loads of us predicted Debenhams would be next.
The nearest one to me is a mess. Dated, messy, like a jumble sale and always empty. I feel terrible for the staff but it really isn't surprising.

I think we have to move with the times.

The internet is changing the map, maybe that's a positive thing.

Having everything so city focused is not great for everyone Look at London and the lack of affordable housing. congestion, pollution, grid locked with cars- and all big cities are the same.

I have lived a lot of my life in a rural setting, cities don't always benefit those living in outlying or smaller communities.

I actually welcome the change. The internet is providing as many opportunities for employment as it removes.

Many cities are top heavy anyway, I can't remember the last time I was in the city shopping, I prefer out of town or internet.

Um, your thread title would suggest the company is finished or gone bankrupt and all stores are closing. This isn't the case. They are looking to close just under a third of stores over the next five years.

Will the remaining 106 stores still be here in 10 years? Who knows? But let's not bury the company while it takes steps to try to survive. It is far from being a corpse, dead and buried yet, OP

Well the High Streets are disappearing because we don't want or need them any more. There would be no point whatsoever in keeping increasingly empty and neglected shops open purely out of sentiment. They're no longer palaces of consumerism, the everyday shops look sad, the aspirational now seem glaringly vulgar.

It will be a relief, really, if town planners start thinking about how towns are used now.

I buy my bras in Debenhams. I can see I'm going to be getting them online, then sending most of them back because they don't fit.

MIL will have to stop giving me Debenhams gift cards every Christmas and birthday. I shall have to make it known that I'd like Waterstones gift cards instead.

True, but we all know how it usually goes. We’ve seen the pattern many times before!

I worked for Debenhams in one of their largest stores when I was a student in the mid 90s. Back then, it was a well laid-out, attractive store with lots of quality items and great customer service.

Back in the store last week and what a change - yes it's like a jumble sale and the "blue cross" event which used to be a short term promotion now appears to be permanent. The shop is a mess, the merchandise isn't that great and it's expensive. It's trying to be John Lewis but without the same quality of stores and merchandise.

I think it’s wrong to suggest that cities are declining. Unless you’re one of the very few rural dwellers who grow their own granola, cycle everywhere and live a freakish low-carbon life, centralised city living is far more sustainable because of the transportation issues.

I order online from Debenhams during their sales. I can’t remember the last time I actually went into a store.

I find it frustrating that you cannot buy basic things in normal large high streets.

In one location large town high street there are many many clothes shops catering to slim 18yr old women, but have nothing if you are chunkier or older. 100+ shops, but you cannot buy a flower pot when its not summer. I cannot buy shoes because they only ever stock a narrow range of sizes (and the online shop is no better for this).

I’m a bit torn, I go on our local one maybe twice a year and have found some bargains.

I guess if the demand isn’t there, shops will close.

I agree with Solenti. I love a department store but I think I’ve not been in the Debenhams in my nearest city for about ten years, it’s badly laid out and tired, messy and the brands are just not very exciting. We also have a Fenwick which is lovely and always packed. Just got back from a weekend in Birmingham and went to Selfridges, ah it was bliss!

In 10 years someone young will say "wouldn't it be great of we could actually see and touch the stuff BEFORE we buy online?"
And a shop will open.....and another....the whole thing will probably go full circle.
Either that or every home will have an underground pipeline to amazon 🙄

Debenhams does my bras - the only bra I like after trying hundreds over 20 years.

A third of their stores and 500 million is a lot :((

Sorry but there are some
Very stupid comments on this thread. I work in insolvency. The reason the likes of Debenhams, NHS and house of Fraser etc are failing or have failed isn't just because of a footfall issue on high streets - it's because their model doesn't work now that rents are so high. All of these stores take up huge square footage - the rents have crept up and up and up over the years whilst high street shoppers have fallen. It's not at a point where the model of massive store with concessions is no longer affordable if you want to make a profit. New look have the same issue.

So it's not just a "death of the high street" issue - it's also a property prices issue.

In 10 years someone young will say "wouldn't it be great of we could actually see and touch the stuff BEFORE we buy online?"

I doubt it, it will be a generational thing. They didn't adapt quick enough to online shopping, there will still be shops in future but it will look vastly different to how it is now.

The fact that even cities/small towns are struggling shows that habits have changed.

I use Debenhams quite often. I don’t want to have to buy my clothes online

I won’t miss most high streets shops- except Primark, and that’s mostly because they’re not online so I can’t click and collect.

There’s such a huge discrepancy now between stock listed when you browse online, and what’s actually available to buy in stores. I never risk going in to town to buy something I’ve seen on a website these days. 10/10 times they haven’t got it, or they have but not in the size you need, or they have got it but you just can’t fucking find it (H&M are the worst for this).

Their own websites are killing most of high street shops off.

I think many high street stores have become complacent. Over the past 7 years I have struggled to purchase in Mothercare and Debenhams due to lack of stock, not being able to find items and not being able to find a member of staff to purchase items from! Any business that does not continually critically evaluate their business model, product and listen to their customers is bound to find themselves in hot water.

I haven‘t been in town for years. chain shops, all with pretty much the same cheap low quality stuff.
2 years ago i tried christmas shopping in town - tried to buy for 6 adults and 4 kids. came home with nothing (fairly big town centre with toys r us, debenhams, all the usual shops).

I am totally not surprised. Better toys and clothes are available online from small retailers - the big stores aren’t moving with the times.

So it's not just a "death of the high street" issue - it's also a property prices issue.

Rents is related to the death of the high street, it was common knowledge when online shopping was just taking off.

Yes property prices
Its what's killed s whole way of life really.
I imagine all these empty shops will be turned into over priced luxury town centre apartments that the average Jo still cannot afford to buy. I'm sure more Russian and Chinese property investors are rubbing their hands with glee!