Former Debenhams stores across the country are being reinvented for an array of new uses as councils and landlords battle to fill millions of square feet left empty after the demise of the department store chain in May 2021.
The Debenhams name continues online under new owners but three years after it left the high street more than half of the former stores remain empty or are in the process of being redeveloped, research by the Local Data Company for the Guardian has found. Only a third of the enormous sites, many of which are the keystone of local high streets, are now occupied by retailers, although a further 7% have a new occupier lined up, according to the research.
Cities and towns including Sheffield, Middlesbrough, Exeter, Swansea, Basingstoke and Nottingham have yet to fill the large gap on their high streets or have not confirmed plans for the site, with several also having lost a House of Fraser or a John Lewis as well.
Only a handful have become new department stores, with independents Bobby's and Bradbeers opening in Bournemouth and Salisbury respectively.
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