Once-packed department store loved in 80s is BULLDOZED after collapsing into administration in huge blow to city centre

The Sun

09-05-2025

DISAPPOINTED shoppers waved goodbye to an iconic department store loved in the 80s after it was reduced to rubble.
The once thriving Debenhams site, in Cardiff, had stood for nearly 40-years in the local community before being demolished.
6
6
6
Residents were devastated to learn of the historic building's fate after the well-known British chain fell into administration in 2020.
All branches were shuttered as the 242-year-old brand collapsed due to mounting financial pressures amid a cost of living crisis.
The department store had been sitting abandoned for years before Land Securities (Landsec) submitted plans to bulldoze it.
They stated there was a "lack of demand for retail units of this size".
Last month the developer was given the go ahead to transform the space into a £17million park to add more green space.
Plans for a "vibrant, cultural place" for residents include a water fountain splash pad as well as a stage for local theatre and artists.
The square will also have space to hold as markets, food stalls and seasonal events.
There are designs for two restaurants and cafes, which are due to be completed along with the rest of the space in 2026.
It will enhance urban biodiversity and give a new lease of life to the abandoned site.
The approved proposals came after a consolation with 5,000 Cardiff locals.
Greggs will raise prices next week in hikes branded a 'theft tax', as Sun reporters again witnessed brazen thefts across UK
Research by Landsec showed 75 per cent of residents thought there should be more green space in the area.
Helen Morgan, the St David's Cardiff centre director, noted: "The development of a new city square on the former Debenhams site is very exciting for St David's and for the city.
"This investment means we can unlock the potential of this currently under-used area and bring life and value back to this part of Cardiff."
The park will back Cardiff as the UK's first UNICEF Child Friendly City.
This is a campaign dedicated to converting cities into environments where child welfare is a priority.
RETAIL PAIN IN 2025
The British Retail Consortium has predicted that the Treasury's hike to employer NICs will cost the retail sector £2.3billion.
Research by the British Chambers of Commerce shows that more than half of companies plan to raise prices by early April.
A survey of more than 4,800 firms found that 55% expect prices to increase in the next three months, up from 39% in a similar poll conducted in the latter half of 2024.
Three-quarters of companies cited the cost of employing people as their primary financial pressure.
The Centre for Retail Research (CRR) has also warned that around 17,350 retail sites are expected to shut down this year.
It comes on the back of a tough 2024 when 13,000 shops closed their doors for good, already a 28% increase on the previous year.
Professor Joshua Bamfield, director of the CRR said: "The results for 2024 show that although the outcomes for store closures overall were not as poor as in either 2020 or 2022, they are still disconcerting, with worse set to come in 2025."
Professor Bamfield has also warned of a bleak outlook for 2025, predicting that as many as 202,000 jobs could be lost in the sector.
"By increasing both the costs of running stores and the costs on each consumer's household it is highly likely that we will see retail job losses eclipse the height of the pandemic in 2020."
It looks to hold cities to the standard of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and UNICEF is working with multiple UK cities to crown them child-friendly.
This comes as a once thriving shopping centre ha s become an eerie "ghost mall" with rows of empty shops.
Disappointed customers have slammed the iconic Quayside Shopping Mall in Salford Quays, Manchester, for being a "waste of time".
They say the outlet centre, plagued by broken doors and lifts, has been left to fall into decline.
It's a far cry from the popular mall customers once loved after it first opened in 2001, and continued to thrive throughout the noughties.
As reported by the M.E.N, there's now a staggering total of 30 empty units, most of which sit gathering dust on the upper floor.
Elsewhere, a beloved shopping centre could be demolished sparking fears the loss would"completely destroy the town centre".
Loughborough residents, in Leicestershire, were shocked to hear the heart of their community may be torn down.
Carillon Court, on Swan Street, was a once-booming mall in the 90s and has welcomed customers since 1971.
But over the years the property has slipped into decline, with a number of vendors shuttering shops inside.
However, locals have expressed concerns it could be removed to make way for student accommodation - which they dubbed a "disgrace".
This comes as many retailers, both independent and industry giants, continue to struggle.
Dozens of shops are set to close across the country before the end of the month in the latest blow to UK high streets.
Just a few months in to 2025 and it's already proving to be another tough year for many major brands.
Rising living costs - which mean shoppers have less cash to burn - and an increase in online shopping has battered retail in recent years.
Why are retailers closing stores?
RETAILERS have been feeling the squeeze since the pandemic, while shoppers are cutting back on spending due to the soaring cost of living crisis.
High energy costs and a move to shopping online after the pandemic are also taking a toll, and many high street shops have struggled to keep going.
However, additional costs have added further pain to an already struggling sector.
The British Retail Consortium has predicted that the Treasury's hike to employer NICs from April will cost the retail sector £2.3billion.
At the same time, the minimum wage will rise to £12.21 an hour from April, and the minimum wage for people aged 18-20 will rise to £10 an hour, an increase of £1.40.
The Centre for Retail Research (CRR) has also warned that around 17,350 retail sites are expected to shut down this year.
It comes on the back of a tough 2024 when 13,000 shops closed their doors for good, already a 28% increase on the previous year.
Professor Joshua Bamfield, director of the CRR said: "The results for 2024 show that although the outcomes for store closures overall were not as poor as in either 2020 or 2022, they are still disconcerting, with worse set to come in 2025."
It comes after almost 170,000 retail workers lost their jobs in 2024.
End-of-year figures compiled by the Centre for Retail Research showed the number of job losses spiked amid the collapse of major chains such as Homebase and Ted Baker.
It said its latest analysis showed that a total of 169,395 retail jobs were lost in the 2024 calendar year to date.
This was up 49,990 – an increase of 41.9% – compared with 2023.
It is the highest annual reading since more than 200,000 jobs were lost in 2020 in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced retailers to shut their stores during lockdowns.
The centre said 38 major retailers went into administration in 2024, including household names such as Lloyds Pharmacy, Homebase, The Body Shop, Carpetright and Ted Baker.
Around a third of all retail job losses in 2024, 33% or 55,914 in total, resulted from administrations.
Experts have said small high street shops could face a particularly challenging 2025 because of Budget tax and wage changes.
Professor Bamfield has warned of a bleak outlook for 2025, predicting that as many as 202,000 jobs could be lost in the sector.
"By increasing both the costs of running stores and the costs on each consumer's household it is highly likely that we will see retail job losses eclipse the height of the pandemic in 2020."
6
6
6