Not that Debenhams could nowadays be described as a 'major shopping experience'. Ten years ago it was easier to claim that. But now? It's become too ordinary. I foresee the demise of all Debenhams branches within a year or two. It will follow the fate of House of Fraser. And before that famous names like the Army & Navy. It's difficult to see how any national chain of near-identical department stores can survive in the face of other ways to shop.
Thankfully the smaller department stores scattered around the country in country towns, sometimes one-branch affairs with local roots going back generations, will be able to take up the slack and carry on. I have no idea how profitable these small stores are. I'm guessing that if they own the freehold of their premises, and don't have to pay an exorbitant rent, then their future is probably assured. Otherwise, they too will bite the dust sooner or later. The West Country (which I visit often) has several of these smaller stores: Banbury's in Barnstaple; Wroes in Bude and Launceston; Fields in Sidmouth; Trinity House in Axminster; Goulds in Dorchester; and more. Being local, and not national, is definitely a strength. They reflect the tastes of the local area better, their atmosphere is intimate, and their cafés are natural places to meet up and share a light meal or coffee before browsing the rails and shelves. As for stock, it's often surprisingly comprehensive. Long may they thrive.
Back to Debenhams at Eastbourne. With its closure five weeks off, it still had plenty of stock on display, but not necessarily in the right sizes, and you felt that it would be pointless asking whether the size you wanted was tucked away in the storeroom. They wouldn't be ordering any more. It wasn't at the 'absolutely final sale' stage yet, but nevertheless the store was plastered with big '50% off, everything must go' signs, and these made the atmosphere seem rather forlorn. There were a few shoppers, but I didn't see any sales taking place. Why buy today, when soon enough they would have to offer '70% off' or better? In any case, there weren't all that many staff around. Perhaps some of them had been released already, and were hunting for other jobs in a shrinking sector.
As you can see, this part of the interior was quite elegant. I had a closer look at that plaque.
Hmm! This - the Adam Room - was 'originally the tea room to the Bobby's Department Store. It was refurbished in 1995.' I remember Bobby's in Bournemouth from way back, when I was young, and trolley buses ran in the streets of a more genteel Bournemouth than you find now. Bobby's there had turned into a Debenhams, just as here. I wondered what would happen to the building. It might well be listed, but if not, it would be demolished for redevelopment. And this former tea room with its ornate ceiling, plasterwork and light fittings, would all be destroyed. That would be sad. You can imagine what such a room might have been like in its heyday.
A group of dummies caught my eye.
They were standing together and putting on a brave show, but they knew the game was up - you could see it in their faces. They looked resigned, all hope gone. And indeed they faced a very uncertain future. Stripped of their fashion garments, they would be bundled unceremoniously into the back of a van and carried off to another branch, or a warehouse. One or two might be displayed again, clad in spring outfits somewhere else. The rest? Who knows. I've seen battered old dummies waving frantically from the upstairs windows of private houses, acquired for some obscure purpose and now prisoners; or dressed in bizarre outfits in bric-à-brac shops and flea markets; or used as fancy scarecrows in gardens. Perhaps those are the lucky ones. It's a scandal. But will the government intervene?
This dummy had been 'sold' - into slavery? Or did the label refer to her outfit? Her gaze was blank and unfathomable.
I didn't feel like buying anything. To do so would feel like pecking at a carcass. I preferred the buzz of living shops. I was relieved to get outside again.
