This resource traces what has happened to the 126 Debenhams stores once their physical presence was no more as of May 2021. As the authors explain, these stores were located in town centres (63 units), city centres (36 units), retail parks (10 units), standalone shopping centres (9 units), and urban centres (8 units), leaving empty spaces in these places.
Overall, 63.5% (80 units) of Debenhams stores still remain empty as of July 2023 due to the commercial risks involved with repurposing often such large spaces, with 23% (29 units) taken over by other retailers (e.g. M&S), 4% (5 units) repurposed for leisure activities, and 9.5% (12 units) converted for other purposes (e.g. housing and mini hospitals).
Analysis finds larger towns have been the hardest hit by vacancies left by the department store, with 71% vacancy from Debenhams closures in large urban centres, 64% in major urban, 60% in medium urban, and 33% in towns.
The retailers that have most commonly taken over a former Debenhams store, or have future plans to do so, are M&S with 8 units, Frasers Group with 5 units, and Primark and the Range both with 3 units.
The resource concludes with a full list of the 126 Debenhams stores which closed across 2020 and 2021, outlining which remain empty, which have been repurposed and how, and any future plans for redevelopment or repurposing the unit.
