Departing Department Stores

This is a timely and important document for many of our cities.

Our department stores have faced unprecdented challenges in the last few years.

We have lost some familiar names that have been around for decades, and this has also led to large and beautiful buildings sitting empty and under threat as they are unlikely to find new tenants in a hurry due to their size and central locations. The report includes stores from national chains such as Debenhams to more local and regional examples. In Norwich, for example, we have the Jarrold's stores which are an important part of the town centre's retail  offering. 

Many of these buildings could be described as 'cathedrals of commerce' with important architectural value.

Produced by Save Britain's Heritage.

Thanks to this tweet for the tipoff to the report, which is free to download.

Report issued by @SAVEBrit focuses on the crisis facing Britain’s handsome and varied department stores, urging imaginative reuse of our ‘cathedrals of commerce'. Full report here: https://t.co/u6oTeULz5c pic.twitter.com/2bvHg18Dom

— Philip Downer (@frontofstore) April 5, 2022

Follow the group on Twitter.