Are you in Britain orwre pallning a trip back, or a staycation, or just a shopping trip and day out? What is on your list? Debenhams? The locations are all over mainland UK, Northern Ireland and Denmark. The buildings range from hsitoric to ultra-modern. Some were traditional family businesses bought up. Others were established in new indoor shopping centres.
Here I am wearing a smart tee-shirt with the label Principles. That is the own brand of Debenhams department store. I seem to remember I bought it in the Harrow Branch. Or maybe in Watford in Intu.
I wish I had kept a dress diary, or a page at the back of my diary of all my year's purchases of clothes and shoes.
All over Britain there are Debenhames department stores in shopping malls and high streets. (Americans say main streets.)
Watford
The latest I read was that the Debenhams in the Intu complex in Watford is closing. that is a blow. I would come down in the lift from the car park next to the department store.
Harrow
But the Harrow branch is staying open. I wondered why the difference?
When I read that the stores in the Intu shopping malls were closing, I was surprised. I associated high streets with falling footfalls, mainly because of parking.
The flagship department stores bookend many indoor shopping malls, such as Watford's Intu. I thought, 'How can that be? Surely the big shopping malls are huge, their own business?'
Intu - In Trouble?
Then I read online that the rent is paid to the owner of the mall, Intu, which is itself suffering financial problems.
What About The Workers - and Customers
What does this mean for the customer? If things go well, maybe the Debenhams department stores will be bought up and restored under the same name or a new name. The shop workers might be rehired if still available. The shoppers will still have a department store.
What About Covid-19
Those stores which are still open have safe distancing measures. That is good news.
Toilets
Now for the bad news - toilets are not open! So, if you used to use the department store toilets, thinking they would be more hygienic, no chance of that. Go before you leave home.
Online Shopping
Meanwhile, Debenhams is still operating online. You might not be able to order online within the store. Nor to click and collect.
Delivery
But you can have items delivered. And you don't need to touch those hand-held devices for sign on delivery. Providing you give the deliverer permission to sign. You have to open your door and say so. (I have done this with other suppliers. The deliverer takes a photo of you and the goods to prove he or she has delivered.)
Debenhams has had more than 100 branches. At the start of this year they had branches in Northern Ireland and in the Republic of Ireland (Eire) and Denmark.
Useful Websites
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debenhams
https://www.debenhams.com/content/latest-updates
https://inews.co.uk/inews-lifestyle/shopping/debehams-stores-closing-list-store-closures-branches-uk-coronavirus-lockdown-end-425757
Useful Websites
OK, so you can go. Which airlines will take you?
https://www.skyscanner.com
About the author, Angela Lansbury
Please come to a Toastmasters International Club where the English clubs have a language evaluator or grammarian. We also have French, German, Mandarin Chinese, Tamil and other language clubs based in Singapore and many more online around the world which because of Covid-19 are now meeting online.
I am President of Braddell Heights Advanced, meeting the first Wednesday of the month, Usually on Zoom. But the other Wednesdays have workshops on app learncool.sg
For meetings learncool it is quicker to type and easier to remember:
Useful Websites On Speaking and Languages
translate.google.com
duolingo.com
https://travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com/2019/04/how-to-say-thank-you-in-several.html
https://travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com/2019/05/introducing-yourself-in-english-spanish.html
https://travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com/2020/01/second-set-of-portuguese-words.html
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