‘It needs to be another department store’ – Sunderland shoppers have their say on Debenhams closure

It was confirmed on Monday, January 25, that online fashion retailer, Boohoo, had reached an agreement to buy the 242-year-old Debenhams brand and website for £55 million.

However, despite the department store name surviving, the company’s remaining 118 stores across the country, including Sunderland’s, will close for good – resulting in around 12,000 job losses.

The three-story store in Sunderland city centre has been a staple of The Bridges for a number of years and shoppers on Tuesday, January 26, have had their say on its closure.

Jasmine Toomey explained that she will miss the designer brands that the department store had on offer.

The 25-year-old carer said: “I like Debenhams so it is sad to see it go as it is much better being able to go in the shop than online.

"I’m going to miss the designer brands as not many other shops offer things like MAC or Missguided so hopefully it will be turned into another department store.”

Retired Sylvia Smith was worried about the brand going online, and said that that does not benefit the older generation.

The 85-year-old commented: “It’s disgraceful that it is going online, there will be no where for us to shop.

"It isn’t fair on older people who don’t know how to do online shopping, I hope that it will be another department store which could cater towards older people.”

Others in Sunderland city centre would like to see the store space used as something to offer younger people in society.

Hazel Talbot, 74, said: “It would be nice if it could be turned into something for the kids, perhaps as a soft play area or a ball pit for them.”

Jodie Halliday added: “Hopefully it will be turned into something more up to date as I think Debenhams tends to target an older age range.

"The idea of making it a food hall like other shopping centres would be nice – it needs to be something for everyone.”

Others were worried about what impact the store closure will have on Sunderland city centre as a whole, with mother and daughter-in-law Michelle and Elaine Warwick highlighting the issue.

65-year-old Elaine said: “Other shops like Bonmarche and Peacocks have already gone, Topshop and Topman are in trouble, at this rate there is going to be nothing left.”

Michelle added: “It needs to be another department store, there is hardly anything left in the city centre now.”

Lisa Wilkinson from Farringdon commented: “It is just going to be another shop standing empty so it would be good to see it as another department store.”

Boohoo’s acquisition of the Debenhams brand will see the online retailer begin selling products from early next year, allowing enough time for liquidators to continue closing the retailer’s sites once they are allowed to reopen after Covid-19 lockdown restrictions are lifted.

It currently remains unclear as to when the Sunderland city centre store will officially close.

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