Wigan retail boss speaks as massive Debenhams store likely to close

John Sanson, centre manager at the Grand Arcade, has spoken about the likely loss of the shopping venue's anchor store.
The Debenhams store in the Grand ArcadeThe Debenhams store in the Grand Arcade
The Debenhams store in the Grand Arcade

The high street was left reeling when the venerable but troubled shopping institution announced it was going into liquidation.

The impact will be particularly felt in Wigan as Debenhams dominates one end of the shopping centre, with a bespoke 100,000 square foot store trading over two floors.

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The department store’s move from its old Standishgate location which is now Wilko to the Grand Arcade was a major coup in 2007.

Grand Arcade centre manager John SansonGrand Arcade centre manager John Sanson
Grand Arcade centre manager John Sanson

However, it now looks like it will close in 2021, although last-ditch rescue talks with Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group were taking place this week.

Debenhams’ demise would inevitably spark hard conversations about what comes next in such a crucial location.

To cap off a grim few days for retail, the Arcadia group, which includes Topshop and Topman which has a store in the Grand Arcade, called in the administrators.

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Despite that, Grand Arcade centre manager John Sanson said he was actually confident stores will enjoy a strong few weeks of trading running up to Christmas as shoppers are allowed to come through the doors again after lockdown.

He was also keen to dispel any rumours that Debenhams was going to shut imminently, saying it will be open throughout Christmas and into the new year.

There is, though, no disguising the scale of the difficulties ahead or the grim situation for Debenhams staff who are facing a festive season with no job security.

Mr Sanson said: “Debenhams is obviously a large part of the shopping centre. There have been problems over the last 12 to 18 months and I don’t think Covid has helped, though I don’t want that to be seen as an excuse.

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“The biggest thing for me is the staff. Some of them have been there for over 30 years. I went in there last week and there was a great atmosphere, everyone had their Christmas jumpers on.

“This is a busy time of the year and it’s even tougher when you don’t know if you have got a job come January.

“The important message is that Debenhams will trade all over Christmas. We’ve had people ringing up to ask if it has closed already, and it will be trading into the New Year.

“If nobody buys the company it could still be split up into parcels or units and there might be some hope, but I think that’s very unlikely.

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“It is terribly upsetting news about Debenhams and Arcadia, though I am less concerned about that as I can see it being split up and surviving.

“However, it is good to have the centre fully open and we are working towards having a good few weeks up until Christmas. We are then looking towards 2021 and hoping it is a better year than 2020.”

Mr Sanson said no options could be ruled out for the future of the massive Debenhams unit in the Grand Arcade and it was even a possibility that it could cease to be a shop and instead be turned into a leisure facility or even residential properties.

Mr Sanson said there is currently more retail space than is needed in Wigan.

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He said the two firms’ struggles were in some way related as several Arcadia brands were stocked by Debenhams.

Some analysis has suggested that online retailing is a cause of the high street’s woes.

However, Mr Sanson said he thought the end of public demand for visiting shops and browsing was unlikely.

He said: “Shopping is leisure. We won’t be in Tier 3 forever and people will still want to go out with friends, buy things and have a coffee and a piece of cake.

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“People still want to feel clothing and try it on if they are allowed. The internet has taken business but I think there’s a massive problem with people sending things back and returns. That is costing online retailers money and if they start charging it could have an impact.

“I do see a future for bricks-and-mortar retailing but it needs to find its level. Debenhams actually has a fairly good online offer but that needs to match what’s in the store.”

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