Wales' last Debenhams stores to close for final time

Branches in Cardiff and Swansea will join 26 other stores acorss the UK which will close on Saturday 15 May.

Wales's last Debenhams stores close their doors for the last time today, marking the end of a 243-year history.

Branches in Cardiff and Swansea will join 26 other stores across the UK which will close on Saturday 15 May.

The historic department store chain collapsed amid the fallout of the coronavirus pandemic.

It closed 21 of its sites across the UK for the final time on Thursday 13 May.

The retailer has suffered slumping sales in recent years as shoppers moved away from traditional department store models.

However, the enforced closure of sites during the pandemic was the final straw, resulting in the company falling into administration within weeks of the virus fully hitting the UK.

The company then started its liquidation process at the start of this year after failing to secure a rescue sale.

The historic department store chain collapsed amid the fallout of the coronavirus pandemic.

Debenhams, which employed more than 20,000 people before the pandemic, sold its brand and website to online giant Boohoo for £55 million in January but confirmed its bricks and mortar business would close for good.

It reopened sites from April 12 after the reopening of essential retail in order to clear stock across its stores.

Final stores to close on May 15:

  • Cardiff

  • Swansea

  • Basildon

  • Basingstoke

  • Belfast

  • Birmingham Bullring

  • Brighton

  • Bristol

  • Bromley

  • Chelmsford

  • Cheshire Oaks

  • Colchester

  • Coventry

  • Exeter

  • Hanley

  • Lakeside

  • Leeds White Rose

  • Liverpool

  • Manchester

  • Manchester Trafford

  • Meadowhall

  • Merry Hill

  • Newcastle

  • Newry

  • Plymouth

  • Romford

  • Rushmere

  • Sheffield


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