By Harry Mottram: Those of a certain are will recall the great days of Debenhams when it was one of a fleet of large stores that dominated the high streets of Britain along with C&A, British Home Stores later known at BHS, Dingles and Woolworths amongst many others. Debenhams dates back to 1778 and at its height had 178 stores but collapsed in 2021 leaving huge debts, thousands out of work, suppliers unpaid and a large number holes in the nation’s high streets and shopping centres including Bath. The good news is that the former Debenhams store in Bath will be the new home of Marks and Spencer who will move from its home in SouthGate around the corner in the same retail quarter.
That will come as welcome news to fans of the purveyor of clothing and household goods since 1884. Many still refer to M&S as Marks or even Marks and Sparks, but the plc has managed to survive the social changes in retailing created by the Covid lockdowns and in particular the internet and the rise of online shopping. The move to the former Debenhams store is clearly a vote confidence in Bath’s shopping centre around the SouthGate area which has seen a shift south over the years. The store will feature M&S Food and its clothing and beauty ranges.
M&S CEO Stuart Machin said: “We want to offer the best possible shopping experience for customers every single time they shop with us. This new £17m investment in a flagship Bath store means we can deliver on that promise and secure M&S’ future in the city. Our store rotation strategy is all about making sure we can showcase the very best of M&S – and that touch of M&S magic – from stores which excite and inspire. We’ve seen great results so far where we have relocated stores, in city centres like Liverpool and Birmingham, helping us to attract new customers and giving us the confidence to go faster with the strategy.”
M&S currently has over 45 stores across the South West, employing over 4,000 workers.
Bath & North East Somerset Council issued this statement: “We welcome this continued investment in our vibrant city which has a fantastic retail offer. The great location of Bath and proximity of a number of tourist attractions has seen strong demand from a mix of retailers coming out of the pandemic and the council is committed to supporting them. We look forward to working with M&S on the future of the current store in Stall Street.”
Bath Voice Monthly Newspaper is distributed free to thousands of homes and some supermarkets – distributed from the first of the month. Harry Mottram is the News Editor
Email him at news@bathvoice.co.uk Bath website: https://bathvoice.co.uk/news/
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Harry Mottram is a freelance journalist. Follow him on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, Telegram, TikTok and Email:harryfmottram@gmail.com
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