Swansea with no Debenhams

[BrynCartwright]

It's a sad time. The last old style department store in Swansea, when once there were so many. What will the Quadrant do with all that unused space? Swansea city centre is becoming more of a residential area day by day. Replicated UK wide I know. The internet and Jeff Bezos is just too strong for certain stick in the mud mainstream retailers.

 

[Ebo]

The way things are going (plus the spectre of a no deal Brexit looming) the quadrant could be finished in 2 years.
Very worrying.

 

[Squarebear]

Walking through Debenhams always feels to me like a throwback to the seventies. I'm sad about losing it in much the same way the teenaged me was sad about the demise of diesel hydraulics. But I understand the reasons they have to go.

 

[Dr. Winston]

Sadly been on the cards for years and the largely unnecessary retail closures the UK retail sector was forced into this summer have delivered the final blow. I hope all those affected are able to find alternative employment quickly.

There is the broader issue of traditional high street retail in general and the pressure it's under due to eCommerce. Swansea Council need to be very, very careful about its city centre regeneration plans. Given their track record it's entirely possible we're going to be stuck with tens of thousands of square feet of empty retail space that nobody wants, with even more piling onto the market when the next retailers go under, and they will.

 

[PSumbler]

It will be very interesting to see what they do with such a large space and such a large space that takes centre stage in the middle of the Quadrant.

A very pivotal moment for every other shop in there I would imagine although I couldn't tell you the last time I actually purchased anything in Debenhams

 

[Monty]

Don't even remember the last time I was in the Quadrant, never mind Debenhams

 

[Best_loser]

Terrible management over many years, sold all the stores then couldn't handle paying the rent when things got tough

Mike Ashley was snubbed after spending 30 million buying up debenhams shares, looks like he was lucky they did, fact is nobody buys much there because its overpriced compared to Amazon and stores like tk maxx

Feel sorry to for the staff who will be working harder for the next few days than they have been for years

 

[J_B]

Most high street retailers are currently desperately trying to renegotiate their leases or secure a payment holiday with their landlords.

Meanwhile, the value of semi rural warehousing with good links to motorways and other suitable land is going through the roof.

 

[gadget1974]

As mentioned elsewhere, who actually shopped there? It always looked dated. I know JohnLewis are in a bit of bother at the moment but you only need to walk into their store and see the very obvious difference between Debenhams and them - proper Audio/video dept, white goods as well as clothes and gifts. Debenhams had very little to offers.

 

[Darran]

Don't even remember the last time I was in the Quadrant, never mind Debenhams

Well you’d have to leave your bedsit first.

 

[Darran]

Walking through Debenhams always feels to me like a throwback to the seventies. I'm sad about losing it in much the same way the teenaged me was sad about the demise of diesel hydraulics. But I understand the reasons they have to go.

I only ever go in there to have a look at the girls on the perfume counters. :lol:

 

[WxmJax]

I only ever used it to get from Tesco car park to the market for me faggots. Never seemed to have anything that I wanted to buy.
Awful news for those who work there though.

 

[dickythorpe]

Always notice there's more staff than customers in there!
A dated store but it has been used as a short cut for years and that buzz of people about will be a miss.
It'll be sad to see them go out of business but they are in a long list now John Menzies, Woolworths, British Home Stores, David Evans, the Kingsway store JD Morgan's (I think?)

 

[Jack2jack]

Most high street retailers are currently desperately trying to renegotiate their leases or secure a payment holiday with their landlords.

Meanwhile, the value of semi rural warehousing with good links to motorways and other suitable land is going through the roof.

There's a certain irony there don't you think, greedy landlords, charging the earth only to find the tenants can't afford the rates, leaving them with empty shops with no real prospect of filling them, or having to reduce the rates, only for them to be filled with low quality retail outlets.
If Debenhams closes it will be a sad day, and more likely as not the ruination of the Quadrant.
I've pondered the question about how City centres will survive in their current guise, but yet come up with an answer, it looks grim.

 

[J_B]

It does look grim. Maybe retail will completely move out of city centres and be replaced by living accommodation, cafes, restaurants and leisure facilities?