Debenhams closing down

[Bloodylovecheese]

I went into my local Debenhams today and saw loads of nice stuff I'd like to buy. Having previously been in H & M next door and the changing rooms being open I thought maybe they'd be the same. Alas no...so all the clothes I'd collected from around the shop floor I decided I'd buy and try on and return any that didn't suit. ..but no! Strictly no returns either. How the hell are they gonna sell any of their stock ? AIBU to think this is just stupid? Especially when lots of the stock is winter stuff still.

My husband works at Debenhams (for the next few weeks at least) the stock they are selling now belongs to the liquidator, not Debenhams, if you found stock on the floor it would have been because people act like vultures, spreading what is left of the stock over the floor, the staff that are left after making the temp staff redundant have spent all last week getting prepared, the number of staff is reduced so probably don't have the staff to tidy up after customers.

I don't think the OP meant the clothes were literally on the floor.

I'll miss Debenhams but not the customer service, hands down the worst departmemt store in this respect.

OP, they're closing in 4 weeks' time, why would they allow refunds?!

I had a wander round my local Debenhams and it was tragic.

The massive amount of Christmas stuff they'd not sold was horrific - there was even a section with out of date food.

There were some dreadful financial decision made and I hope the staff find work soon.

It's no longer a functional department store. As pp said, the liquidator is selling the last of the stock hence no returns. Presumably the stock is all marked down?

They are closing down and need to get as much money as they can from the stock. So I don't think their priority is customer experience. It's up to you if you buy it under these conditions. Some people will.

@Gingernaut

I had a wander round my local Debenhams and it was tragic.

The massive amount of Christmas stuff they'd not sold was horrific - there was even a section with out of date food.

There were some dreadful financial decision made and I hope the staff find work soon.

There may have been don't bad financial decisions made, but the government locking us all up for months also has to be a factor.

The more economic damage we see from the lockdowns, the more people will start to question if the government was making balanced decisions.

@ttitigress - I'm no fan of extended lockdowns, but the 1000+ deaths per day in January, despite all the restrictions preceding it for 10 months, favours the Government's argument - that Covid was extremely contagious and dangerous to a lot of people.

I expect many people will be willing to take a chance of things not fitting if they think something is a bargain.

Debenhams issues were before the pandemic, not that it makes it any better for the staff losing their jobs.

@Cadent
Are they actually open for 4 weeks?

I work for Debenhams and have been asking what’s going to happen and I’ve had no answers.

What a mess.

Sorry to hear they haven't been clear with you JJSS123 I hope your last few weeks go as smoothly as they can.

I went yesterday and it was packed with people spending hundreds. I don't think they'll have trouble selling their stock.

@tttigress. Debenhams was in big trouble before the pandemic hit. The Govt have not 'locked us up' at all. Please just stop with that nonsense, if nothing else, to respect the people who do suffer with dreadful Govts that do do things like that. When out Govt starts nailing boards over our doors & placing security guards outside resudential buildings then fine, but when they're asking us to 'stay home' to protect people's lives, just no.

Yes Debenhams having to close because of the pandemic has speed up the closing, but it's like putting an animal that's suffering, to sleep.

@Bloodylovecheese. It's annoying you couldn't try them on in store, but I can understand them not doing returns.

@tttigress

Debenhams was tragic before covid came along and on borrowed time.

All lockdowns have done is clear out the dead wood of retail which wouldn't have seen out a further 5 years let alone the decade

Nearly everything in the Stevenage store was 40% off yesterday and the queues to pay were horrendous so many don't agree with the OP. It's a liquidation sale basically and I'm very sorry for the staff who've lost their jobs. Oh, the loos were open and spotlessly clean which was a nice surprise.

As someone said upthread the stock and all the fixtures and fittings all belongs to the liquidator now and not Debenhams. Of course they won’t allow refunds- they’re trying to get rid of this stuff not have it back it will sell- they will just keep reducing the price. Everything that was left in the store I worked in that went bankrupt had everything that was left on the last day selling at 90% off and all the fixtures and fittings have been sold for whatever people were willing to pay. People were worse than vultures on that last day and there were actual physical fights over what was left- which wasn’t much and definitely wasn’t worth slapping someone over.

I understand the no refunds, if I could've tried on. It seemed such a shame as I had a couple of hundred pounds worth of clothing I potentially would have bought. I couldn't buy the jeans though as they were a must for trying on, also the expensive dress which was still expensive to me at £65 ...it was beautiful but I wasn't 100% the bust would fit.
I did feel sorry for the staff there...and the stock and store still presented well too.
I think the liquidators have missed a trick in selling more goods by not having changing rooms but hey ho..as you've said someone will buy the goods eventually when they've been reduced further and further. Or I may pick them up in TK Maxx.

[quote JJSS123]@Cadent
Are they actually open for 4 weeks?

I work for Debenhams and have been asking what’s going to happen and I’ve had no answers.

What a mess.[/quote]
The press said they’re closing within 4 weeks of 12 April.

I overheard a shop assistant in my local Debenhams saying they were open for 2 more weeks,

Maybe it varies from store to store, depending on how much stock they shift?

Debenhams has been dead for a long time, out of touch with the modern world, over priced on everything and staff acting like their the elite. See ya

Debenhams didn’t really have a niche it was neither high end nor fast fashion. It was a discounter as well so luxury brands would sometimes refuse to allow Debenhams to stock their products if they were going to undercut their concessions in the more high end stores nearby.
It had been struggling long before the Pandemic.

@ChazsBrilliantAttitude

Debenhams didn’t really have a niche it was neither high end nor fast fashion. It was a discounter as well so luxury brands would sometimes refuse to allow Debenhams to stock their products if they were going to undercut their concessions in the more high end stores nearby. It had been struggling long before the Pandemic.

Also hasn't helped that most of its concessions have gone bust too. Wallis, Topshop, Warehouse, DP, Oasis, Coast etc

The store in my town the changing rooms always had closed barriers across them well before covid.
It's over priced anyway, for the quality.
I bought 3 sweaters last year and two had holes or stiching coming undone straight away.
I feel sorry for the staff left, I hope they are doing the bare min tbh.

There may have been don't bad financial decisions made, but the government locking us all up for months also has to be a factor.

Hastened their closure, but it's been coming for years. They were asset stripped and left with huge liabilities right before the boom in internet shopping. I'm amazed they limped on as long as they did to be honest.

^It's over priced anyway, for the quality.
I bought 3 sweaters last year and two had holes or stiching coming undone straight away.^

The quality dropped after the private equity group bought them - part of the short term maximising of profit.

Debenhams was ham strung by debt so was on borrowed time for a decade or more prior to covid.

They'll sell stuff to people who don't insist on trying it on though, market stall traders, people who just take the gamble and if it doesn't fit resell on ebay. It's not worth the hassle of the staff having to restock the racks.

[quote TheThingsWeAdmitOnMN]@tttigress. Debenhams was in big trouble before the pandemic hit. The Govt have not 'locked us up' at all. Please just stop with that nonsense, if nothing else, to respect the people who do suffer with dreadful Govts that do do things like that. When out Govt starts nailing boards over our doors & placing security guards outside resudential buildings then fine, but when they're asking us to 'stay home' to protect people's lives, just no.

Yes Debenhams having to close because of the pandemic has speed up the closing, but it's like putting an animal that's suffering, to sleep.

@Bloodylovecheese. It's annoying you couldn't try them on in store, but I can understand them not doing returns.[/quote]
Debenhams has been on its last legs for many years, long before lockdowns. I rarely went in, it always seemed cramped and felt like a load glorified market stalls, Norwich that is, but even newer ones felt unwelcoming.