When was debenhams opened

In , William Clark opened a drapers store at 44 Wigmore Street in London's West End, where he sold expensive fabrics, bonnets, gloves and parasols. The first store outside of London opened in Cheltenham in The fashions of Victorian Britain saw the firm prosper, with widows and other female relatives adhering to a strict code of clothing and etiquette when in mourning. A wholesale business was established alongside its retail stores and offices were opened in South Africa, Australia, Canada and China, where they sold cloth to large retailers and dressmakers.

After involvement of the Debenham family ended, the business became a public company in By , Debenhams owned 84 companies and had retail stores. In , all stores owned by the business were rebranded as Debenhams, except for Brown's of Chester, which retained its original name. From to , Debenhams was part of the Burton Group. In the s, exclusive merchandise was introduced to the business, including the launch of Designers at Debenhams in In , the first international franchise store opened in Bahrain.

If you continue browsing the site, you agree to our use of cookies. March UK goes into lockdown, forcing Debenhams to close all its stores. August The company cuts 2, jobs. October Mike Ashley again makes a bid for Debenhams. In William Clark opened a drapers store on 44 Wigmore Street in central London, selling expensive fabrics, bonnets, gloves and parasols. The business had a modest start in life, with Mr Clark continuing to run the single store until meeting a potential investor.

Five years later it opened its first store outside the capital, in Cheltenham, and started to dramatically expand. Mr Clark had initially opened the shop selling expensive fabrics, bonnets, gloves and parasols, before it was renamed. Shoppers are seen charging through the doors of a Debenhams department store on the first day of the sales in Shoppers browse for bargains at a Debenhams department store at the start of its sale on December 27, Acquisitions continued into the next century and in Debenhams Ltd was formed.

Seven years later the Debenham family exited the business as it was listed on the London Stock exchange. By , Debenhams was the largest department store group in the UK, owning 84 companies and stores.

In Debenhams merged to become part of Burton Group, which soon rebranded as Arcadia, before splitting away 13 years later after a period of rapid store expansion and the launch of its first international franchise sites. Five years later it opened its first store outside the capital, in Cheltenham.

Following months of tussling with Ashley who was desperate to take control, Debenhams was sold to an entity established by its lenders in a pre-pack administration deal that wiped out all of its shareholders, including the Sports Direct chief.

While it's not clear which of those stores will go, it is likely to include some of the most historic names in British retail history. All stores, with the exception of Browns of Chester were rebranded as Debenhams in House of Fraser, which Mike Ashley has owned since last summer, did the same; acquiring stores from Barkers to Dingles which were eventually all brought under the House of Fraser brand.

Ashley had hoped to unite them all as part of his retail empire. For now, it looks like his plan has failed. He's not going quietly of course. He has since threatened legal action and is calling for the administration to be reversed.