Up and down: changing fortunes

High-profile victims include:

Debenhams: The department store chain announced plans to close 50 stores, after it made a record annual loss.

Debenhams has stores in Exeter, Torquay, Plymouth and Truro. It is not yet known if any of those will close

Gourmet Burger Kitchen: The posh burger chain, which opened in Exeter in 2016, has revealed plans to close 17 of its 85 restaurants. Other restaurants that have undertaken company voluntary arrangements so far this year include Carluccio’s, Byron, Prezzo – including the branches in Exeter and Barnstaple – Gaucho and Jamie’s Italian.

House of Fraser: The mainstay of Exeter High Street, is set to close in January.

Marks & Spencer: The high street stalwart is to shut 100 stores by 2022 in a radical overhaul of its estate. Profits at the company have slumped by almost two-thirds.

Poundworld: The budget chain called in administrators in June in a move affecting 5,100 jobs. The business was hit by falling footfall, alongside rising costs and weak consumer confidence. All stores have now been closed.

Toys R Us: The toys emporium closed its Devon branches after the retail giant went into administration.

Maplin: One of the UK’s biggest electronics retailers, with branches across the Westcountry, collapsed into administration on the same day as Toys R Us.

Coast: the womenswear retailer went into administration in mid-October, affecting 300 jobs at 24 stores. But sister brand Karen Millen bought out parts of the business, rescuing about 600 jobs at 145 department store concessions.

But town and city centres have recorded some successes too. Plymouth successfully fought to keep its branch of House of Fraser, which will be the only House of Fraser store across Devon and Cornwall. The vacant BhS store in Plymouth has now been let.

Exeter is looking forward to the opening of Typo on the High Street and Oliver Bonas in Princesshay.

In the past month Exeter has welcomed Sacred Grounds, a vegan café, Ebdons Refreshments, Levis in Princesshay, Hawkins Bazaar on the High Street and the Black Pearl, a women’s fashion boutique on Fore Street.