Express & Star comment: We have to help save Debenhams stores

The department store chain has been a mainstay of Britain’s high streets for decades, and its presence in the West Midlands has been vital to the region’s retail offer.

However, it has been clear for a while now that all is not well.

A succession of profit warnings have come and gone.

• MORE: Debenhams fears raised as bosses plan to 'axe third of stores'

It is understood that savings of around £100 million are desperately needed.

Now it is being widely reported that up to one third of its UK stores could be set for the axe.

This is a deeply worrying development.

There seems to be no end to the struggles experienced by our high street stores.

In recent times we have already lost the likes of Toys R Us, Maplin and BHS to name but a few.

House of Fraser was saved at the last minute by Sports Direct owner Mike Ashley, although we still do not yet know the details of his long-term plans for stores including Beatties in Wolverhampton.

Marks and Spencer has seen its profits sliced in half in three years.

If it wasn’t already clear, the British high street is facing its greatest ever challenge.

For it to succeed, a number of things need to happen.

Firstly, people need to use these flagship stores rather than doing all of their shopping on the internet.

Quite simply, if we don’t shop on the streets, then before long the majority of the shops will be gone.

And the retailers must also do their bit.

There are some fantastic examples of major stores brining shoppers in by offering a wider range of products and a better all round customer experience.

This is surely the way forward. We can only hope that when the bosses of Debenhams meet later this week, they are full of ideas as to how to improve the chain’s situation.

And closing down stores must only ever be a last resort, even when profits are not at the levels that bosses would like.

We cannot allow our town and city centres to fail through lack of investment and lack of use.

If we want our major stores to survive, then we all have to plat our part.