Business

Remaning Debenhams stores to close for good next week

Brendan Gallagher
Brendan Gallagher Brendan Gallagher

DEBENHAMS has confirmed its four remaining stores in Northern Ireland will close for good next week.

The Ballymena store will close on May 12 with stores in Belfast, Newry and Craigavon’s Rushmere closing on May 15.

All four stores are offering heavy discounts as part of efforts to clear all stock.

Debenhams’ Derry store is the sole survivor of the department chain’s collapse, after Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group bought the large Foyleside unit. It’s due to reopen as a Frasers store.

Meanwhile the Rushmere shopping centre has reported its busiest bank holiday weekend on record after the reopening of non-essential retail on Friday.

The Craigavon complex said 136,000 visitors passed through its doors over the May Day bank holiday weekend.

Centre manager Martin Walsh said: “Though we had been anticipating a busy return last weekend, we were delighted to record an unprecedented number of shoppers visiting the centre and retail park right through the four-day shopping period and that despite being busy, everyone was in really great spirits and delighted to be back. It was very encouraging to see.”

“Customers and staff were delighted to be safely back out and about and the buzz was fantastic. From our research, shoppers were returning not only to bag themselves a bargain but also to spend some of their lockdown savings on a pre-summer splurge.”