15-05-2025
Iconic Debenhams store is transformed into huge entertainment zone with 12-lane bowling alley, dancefloor & roller rink
AN iconic Debenhams store has been given a new lease of life after being transformed into an entertainment venue.
After the business went into administration in 2020, hundreds of the huge department stores were left empty on UK high streets.
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Now, one of the abandoned stores has been completely transformed into the ultimate entertainment space.
The Debenhams in Midsummer Place, Milton Keynes has been revamped by entertainment company Lane 7.
The 40,000 square foot space has been kitted out with a bowling alley, roller skating rink, golf simulators, bumper cars, pool tables and a gaming experience.
Lane 7's Luke Harvey said: "The culture of what people want from their nights out has changed a lot recently, the shift from being a drinking culture has stopped a little bit, especially for 18-24 year olds.
"People want a little more from their nights out; they don't necessarily want to go to a nightclub anymore.
"They want something fun and something they can do with a range of different friends and families."
Since opening in March, the venue has seen about 2,300 visitors on its busiest days which are usually Friday nights and evenings.
The entertainment company has taken over the ground floor, while Sports Direct occupies the upper floors.
Although shoppers can still buy from Debenhams online, all of its 124 beloved high street stores closed down because of falling profits and rising debt.
The financial problems were triggered by a combination of consumers moving online, as well as Covid lockdowns which stalled profits.
Across the country, councils and developers have been repurposing former Debenhams stores.
One in Northampton was demolished and replaced by student housing in October 2024, a fate that will follow for the two other stores left in the city.
Similar plans are going ahead in Guildford, with 185 new homes replacing the former Debenhams store.
Other empty stores, including the ex-BHS and Marks and Spencer buildings on Abington Street, Northampton, will also be converted into flats to try and meet growing housing needs.
In Ipswich, the borough council have described the empty four story building as a "blight" on the town centre, overlooking the newly revamped Cornhill square.
The council claims the building's owner has rejected several applications from "well-known retailers" to take over the site.
A store in Norwich faces an uncertain future, with plans to demolish the shop to be rebuilt as student accommodation being fought by Historic England given its proximity to Norwich Castle.
Like the Milton Keynes store, some former Debenhams' have undergone an exciting revival.
A store in the Grafton Centre, Cambridge, is due to be converted into office and lab space for life science studies.
Redevelopment work is being undertaken by Corstorphine and Wright who said they had: "identified areas that could be removed to allow for new development, including a vacant flagship Debenhams store and an underused entrance plaza."
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