{"id":125155,"date":"2021-05-15T09:11:32","date_gmt":"2021-05-15T09:11:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/precoinnews.com\/?p=125155"},"modified":"2021-05-15T09:11:32","modified_gmt":"2021-05-15T09:11:32","slug":"debenhams-remaining-stores-to-close-for-the-final-time-as-covid-shutdown-ends-more-than-240-years-of-retail-history","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/precoinnews.com\/business\/debenhams-remaining-stores-to-close-for-the-final-time-as-covid-shutdown-ends-more-than-240-years-of-retail-history\/","title":{"rendered":"Debenhams’ remaining stores to close for the final time as COVID shutdown ends more than 240 years of retail history"},"content":{"rendered":"
Debenhams stores across the UK will shut their doors for the final time later, bringing more than 240 years of retail history to an end. <\/p>\n
The department store chain, a staple of high streets since 1778, will close its remaining 28 stores for good on Saturday after the company collapsed amid the fallout of the COVID-19 <\/strong>pandemic.<\/p>\n It closed 21 of its sites across the UK for the final time on Thursday.<\/p>\n The retailer was already struggling before the coronavirus outbreak, as shoppers moved away from traditional department store models and moved online.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n But it could not cope with the enforced closure of sites during lockdown and quickly went into administration within weeks of the virus fully hitting the UK.<\/p>\n The company, which began life as a high end draper in London’s West End, started its liquidation process at the start of this year after failing to secure a rescue sale.<\/p>\n Debenhams, which employed more than 20,000 people before the pandemic, reopened sites from 12 April after the reopening of essential retail in order to clear stock across its stores.<\/p>\n Administrators sold the brand<\/strong> to online-only player Boohoo for £55m back in January but confirmed its bricks and mortar business would close for good.<\/p>\n