Sadness for staff and shoppers as Merry Hill Debenhams shuts down for good

The historic department store was closing its remaining 28 stores across the UK for good on Saturday after the 243-year-old company collapsed amid Covid-19 struggles.

Many shops, including the Telford and Walsall branches, closed earlier this month but the branches at Merry Hill and the Bullring in Birmingham were among those shutting over the weekend.

The Merry Hill store was the last in the Black Country to remain open – and the news the store would be shutting down for good was met with sadness by staff and shoppers.

Beverley Beasley, from Wordsley, who worked at the store for 16 years, fought back the tears as she reflected on her time helping customers.

She said: "I've worked here for 16 years this year and it's absolutely heartbreaking.

"I'm getting upset just thinking about it – because of all the staff here, too. It's always been like the heart of Merry Hill, my friends worked here the day it opened up and there's still people here now who have done about 30 years or so here."

Security staff Laura Hadley and Stephen Woodall said it was a "very emotional" day for everyone as shoppers rushed in to nab a last-minute bargain.

Customers were seen stocking up with several items – as well as coat-hangers from the store – as they made several trips in and out of the store through the intermittent rain.

Mr Woodall, who has worked at the store for 25 years, said: "You have to think of what it's going to do to this centre – this was the flagship store. I've seen a lot of people come and go, changes in the way retail works, what it was then – we used to have one-day sales and you couldn't move in here. But the sales now are spread over a fortnight.

"Even though it was very hard work – 12 hours shifts – it was like a party, it was fantastic. But now you just feel like it's another one where retail has changed from what it used. It's such a shame because we're a family – that's been the Debenhams way from day one. It's been a huge family."

Mr Woodall, who is coming up to 62, said he wasn't sure of what he'd do next but said he'll take some time and have a "bit of a rest" before deciding what to do next.

Kamaljit Dehal, who previously worked at Debenhams in Wolverhampton, visited the store with her husband and bought a coat amid the ongoing rush for a bargain.

Debenhams in the Mander Centre in Wolverhampton city centre closed in January just two years after opening as the shopping centre's anchor shop.

Mrs Dehal said: "I used to work for Debenhams in Wolverhampton and I've always shopped at Debenhams too. I'm getting emotional because I thought things were really reasonable and really good quality – and good for Christmas presents as well.

"Even though the Wolverhampton store went we still had this one, but everything has gone now. If you want to buy something you want to see it, I think, and I'm specific with what I buy and I like to feel the material. They had designer clothing at reasonable prices as well.

"I'm gutted, but I'm hoping they will come back somehow but it's not going to be the same [if it goes online]."

The retailer has suffered slumping sales in recent years as shoppers moved away from traditional department store models, with the focus shifting to online especially during the pandemic.

But the enforced closure of sites during Covid-19 was the final straw, resulting in the company falling into administration within weeks of the virus fully hitting the UK. The company then started its liquidation process at the start of this year after failing to secure a rescue sale.

Debenhams, which employed more than 20,000 people before the pandemic, sold its brand and website to online giant Boohoo for £55 million in January but confirmed its bricks and mortar business would close for good. It reopened sites from April 12 after the reopening of essential retail in order to clear stock across its stores.