240 years of history on the High St
WITH designer goods on every floor, a kitchenware department brimming with the latest gadgets and a beauty section to rival anything on the High Street, Debenhams was once the go-to shopping destination.
It was founded in London in 1778 as a drapers store by William Clark who was later joined by William Debenham. They traded as Clark & Debenham and eventually in 1905 the firm became Debenhams Ltd. By 1950 it was the largest department store chain in the UK. After being bought by Burton Group – which later became Sir Philip Green’s Arcadia Group – Debenhams opened more stores and collaborated with designers such as Jasper Conran. The Debenhams store card was a staple in every woman’s purse.
But as internet shopping took off, and budget retailers such as Primark undercut department stores, Debenhams fell out of favour. Ownership changes have failed to reverse the trend, despite the chain still employing 27,000 across its 183 stores in the UK, Ireland and Denmark and offices abroad.