Lost shops - Debenhams

Debenhams recently became the latest retail casualty as the brand ceased trading on the high street in May 2021 after 243 years of operation. More than 100 bricks & mortar stores closed and Debenhams will continue as an online-only brand as it is now owned by online retailer Boohoo.

Debenhams in Stockport

The lights were still on in December 2020

A view of the store during lockdown in April 2021

In the store in April 2021

In January 2021

Debenhams in Nuneaton

In May 2021

Debenhams in Manchester

Debenhams on Market Street in Manchester one day after the store's closure

Covid-19 signs

Covid-19 signage in January 2021

A Covid-19 sign in August 2020

What next for the former shops?

As with other collapsed chains it'll be interesting to see who moves in to the former Debenhams shops and how long the last traces of the brand will linger on the high street.

There are already plans for one former store to become an indoor entertainment venue. Gravity Active Entertainment will be opening a new centre in Wandsworth, London. The four-floor site will be home to a crazy golf course, bar & restaurant, pool, tenpin bowling, darts, high ropes, go-karting and more.

The retailtainment and minigolf boom

Miniature Golf is a big part of the retailtainment boom, with courses opening as standalone entertainment activities, or as part of large shoppingtainment leisure offerings in malls, high streets and retail parks.

Some of these retailtainment activities are permanent, while others are pop-ups catering to a mix of audiences, from children and families, to adults looking for competitive socialising fun.

Minigolf has really grown in popularity in the last decade and has moved from only being a traditional outdoor seaside summer activity to become a year-round game that can be played indoors, outdoors and at pretty much any time of the day.

A number of high streets, retail parks and shopping malls are now home to minigolf courses, with more new venues planned to open.

Minigolf is also a popular addition to boost footfall, create awareness and attract people to a location. Businesses also use portable and temporary minigolf layouts for product launches and promotions.

Other lost shops

We've seen traces, remnants and signage of a number of lost shop brands on our travels including Blockbuster Video, Toys R Us, Woolworths, British Home Stores, Kwik Save, Tandy, RadioShack, Grainger Games, Carphone Warehouse and JJB Sports.

Lost shops - Sainsbury's on Warren Street in Stockport town centre

A look at Sainsbury's on Warren Street in Stockport town centre.

Now a lost shop.

It closed on the 31st January this year.

Lost shops - Debenhams in Stockport town centre

A look at Debenhams in Stockport town centre. Now a lost shop.

Grainger Games in Salford

Grainger Games - a lost video game shop brand.

This is the Salford Shopping Centre location in Pendleton, Salford, Greater Manchester.

The company was founded in 1996 and ceased operations on the 28th March 2018.

As a brand with shops in the North of England and Scotland I only became a regular shopper there when I moved to Stockport in 2016.

This year I've found other former branches of Grainger Games at Stretford Mall and Clarendon Square Shopping Centre in Hyde.

The Carphone Warehouse in Leigh

A look at a lost shop in Leigh.

The Carphone Warehouse on Bradshawgate in Leigh, Greater Manchester - one of the 531 standalone shops closed by the brand in April of this year.

The Carphone Warehouse was founded in 1989 and while the brand still exists, products and services are now offered within Currys PC World stores.

Back in 1999 The Carphone Warehouse purchased Tandy's operations in the UK. My first job was at a Tandy franchise in 1995 and I've found traces of that brand in Hitchin and Saint Annes on the Sea on my travels.

JJB Sports in Leigh

A look at an old JJB Sports shop in Leigh.

The shopfront of the old JJB Sports shop on Bradshawgate in Leigh, Greater Manchester is still visible.

The company went into administration in 2012 with stores closing in October and was dissolved in November that year.

The retail space occupies the ground floor of the Leigh Friendly Co-operative Society building that was designed in 1897 and opened in 1899.

The JJB brand is now owned by Sports Direct.

This shopfront on the town's main shopping street retains the pre-2010 branding on the signage.

Old shops and lost brands

One of my areas of interest is in old retail brands - I'm a marketer by profession and two of my first jobs in the 1990's and the year 2000 were at Tandy and Toys R Us. It's been fascinating to find remnants of a number of lost, dead and defunct brands on the high street and at retail parks. Some of them include Blockbuster Video, Woolworths and RadioShack, as well as examples of previous brand iterations such as Happy Shopper.

Grainger Games in Hyde

Another week and another Grainger Games.

Last week we spotted the old Grainger Games store at Stretford Mall in Manchester. This weekend we stumbled upon the old shop at the Clarendon Square shopping centre in Hyde, Tameside.

It's been an interesting year seeing social distancing signage alongside long lost shops

Grainger Games was founded in 1996 and ceased operations on the 28th March 2018.

A sad sign

It was a brand with shops in the North of England and Scotland, so I only became a regular shopper there when I moved to Stockport back in 2016.

While we were there the lights inside the shop came on!

Sea of Thieves on Xbox One are 'new' in

Let there be light!

Related blog posts:

- Abandoned

- Lost

- Retail

- Blockbuster Video

- Tandy

- RadioShack

- Toys R Us

- Kwik Save

- Woolworths

Grainger Games. A lost video game shop brand

This is the Stretford Mall location.

The company was founded in 1996 and ceased operations on the 28th March 2018.

You won't find a PS5 there, but there's still a rack of UFC3 games for the XBOX ONE and PS4 in there.

As a brand with shops in the North of England and Scotland I only became a regular shopper there when I moved to Stockport in 2016.

Louis Tussauds House of Wax in Great Yarmouth

A look back at Louis Tussauds House of Wax in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk.

In all of my travels around the UK one of my biggest regrets is that I never visited Louis Tussauds House of Wax in Great Yarmouth.

The closest I ever got to going inside

It was the World's Worst Wax Museum!

Look at those star attractions. Bear in mind this photo was taken in June 2011

We've been to the Norfolk seaside resort a number of times over the years but either ran out of time to go in, or found it to be closed or out-of-season.

Sadly Louis Tussauds House of Wax permanently closed in 2012.

Did you ever visit? I'd love to know if it really was as bad as people say.