Memories of when Debenhams in Bury St Edmunds opened with the launch of the arc shopping centre and began a new era for the town
When Debenhams in Bury St Edmunds shuts its doors for the final time today, it closes a chapter in the town's history.
The department store has been the heart of the town's arc since the shopping centre opened to great excitement and fanfare on Thursday, March 5, 2009.
The shop was part of the future of Bury St Edmunds as the £100 million redevelopment of the former Cattle Market, mooted for 50 years, attracted shoppers from far and the wide.
With acrobats, street performers and pink balloons galore, there was an air of promise as Debenhams returned to Bury to help the arc begin a new era for the town in the wake of the global economic crisis.
The 242-year-old brand previously operated across two sites in Buttermarket and The Traverse and closed in about 1998.
Rival department store Palmers had hoped to move into the shopping centre but in 2003 the then St Edmundsbury Borough Council voted to give Debenhams the prime site.
In a Bury Free Press poll at the time, readers had voted for Palmers.
It was warmly embraced by shoppers though with former colleagues from the old Debenhams among the first to glimpse the gleaming new store in a special preview the night before it officially opened.
Rose Hodgkins, who worked in curtains and fashion for 13 years at the lost Debenhams, remembered: "The old store was really old fashioned. It was in two buildings with a cobbled street inbetween.
"From what I've seen of this new store, it looks extremely nice."
Sheila Bird, who was at the old site for 21 years, said: "We never had a lift, everything had to be carried up and down the stairs - it was a long way."
On the brand's eagerly anticipated return, she added: "We have been waiting for this for 11 years. At last we can start spending our money."
And spend, spend, spend they did as the tills continued to ring during the first week with the arc welcoming tens of thousands of shoppers each day, according to then centre manager Paul Haynes.
Debenhams manager Katy Tamagni revealed the store was trading 55 per cent up on target and staff had been working 'flat out'.
"There is an unstoppable enthusiasm and buzz in the store," she said.
At its opening the store pledged to raise money for St Nicholas Hospice Care and hospice patients were among the first through the doors after cutting its ribbon.
Lynn Shoults and Frank Fox were joined by carer Andrew Robinson to mark the official opening.
Collection boxes were placed at the tills, with customers urged to donate to the hospice.
Mr Robinson, of Hessett, said: "These are tough times, so it's exceptionally good that Debenhams have put their shoulder behind the charity."
Among those spending at the store was former paralegal Jenni Hurndall who was the winner of a special prize at the grand opening of the shopping centre - just a month after she was made redundant.
She scooped a £1,000 spending spree with a personal shopper, as well as a stay at the Angel Hotel with dinner, bed and breakfast.
One of 100 'very special people' picked to attend the ribbon cutting, she said: "It's brilliant - I have to sign on later today, but I think things are starting to take a turn for the better. This will be a lovely bonus.
"I haven't a clue how I will spend the money, but I think I will probably go to Debenhams first of all."
But in the ever-changing world of retail, Debenhams is among the big high street names to have struggled in recent years.
The chain collapsed last year after JD Sports pulled out of rescue talks.
In January, the Boohoo Group paid £55 million to acquire the brand out of liquidation but the deal excluded its 118 shops.
When Debenhams opened in 2009, eye-catching pink posters pulled in customers with promise of its 'new season's spectacular up to 25 per cent off'.
Now in its final days, the windows are plastered with clearance signs and a countdown to its closure.
When the shop reopened last month with the lifting of lockdown restrictions, customers spoke of their heartbreak and sadness at the loss of an iconic high street brand.
It has not yet been revealed which retailer will take its place at the arc's flagship site.
Today though, before they look to the future, shoppers will bid farewell to a name which helped breathe new life into the town and offered an economic lifeline to many.
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