The closure of the chain, which imploded last year, will leave a blight on high streets across the country where Debenhams is among the largest stores. Its remaining 97 stores are expected to be shuttered by the end of next month. Other chains joined Debenhams on the scrapheap and now thousands of stores forced to close last year due to lockdown measures are not going to reopen at all. But they said there is between £180million and £200million currently locked in stores and in warehouses ready to supply the closing down sale. Wicks said: ‘We were 40 per cent online before the pandemic and we think it will be between 60 and 70 per cent going forward.

Source: The Nation April 11, 2021 02:48 UTC