{"id":3297,"date":"2025-05-20T12:40:54","date_gmt":"2025-05-20T12:40:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/?p=3297"},"modified":"2025-05-21T21:44:14","modified_gmt":"2025-05-21T21:44:14","slug":"10-brands-brits-want-back-on-the-high-street-from-debenhams-to-woolworths","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/2025\/05\/20\/10-brands-brits-want-back-on-the-high-street-from-debenhams-to-woolworths\/","title":{"rendered":"10 brands Brits want back on the high street \u2013 from Debenhams to Woolworths"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Which shopping brands do you miss visiting? (Picture: Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Whatever you think of different shopping brands, one thing is certain: British high streets are shrinking as more and more close down.<\/p>\n

It’s been a while since Woolworths and Debenhams shut for good, but Poundland is about to close hundreds of stores<\/a> and Hobbycraft will also shut a number of branches<\/a> in the latest blow for shoppers.<\/p>\n

Despite the gloomy outlook, some brands are turning the tides and reopening branches.<\/p>\n

Music store HMV reopened its iconic Oxford Street store<\/a> in 2023, four years after it closed, and earlier this year Topshop suggested it could be making a return<\/a> to the high street.<\/p>\n

And new figures have revealed the top 10 brands shoppers want to see make a comeback.<\/p>\n

Experts analysed search data and found Debenhams is an extremely popular choice, with the brand receiving nearly 500,000 searches every month.<\/p>\n

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People want Debenhams back on the high street (Picture: Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Customers also want to see Dorothy Perkins, Toys R Us and Mothercare reopen their physical shops.<\/p>\n

Boohoo bought Debenhams back in 2021, but not its high street shops, which meant they eventually closed. <\/p>\n

Since then Boohoo has changed its name to Debenhams, reviving the brand, and its chief executive says it will become ‘Britain’s online department store’.<\/p>\n

Richard Hunt, director of Liquidation Centre<\/a> which helps businesses closing down, said: ‘The combination of failing to adapt to shifting consumer habits towards online shopping alongside the financial impact of Brexit and the pandemic contributed towards Debenhams’ financial strain. <\/p>\n

‘However, their issues began years prior to these events, with the company carrying unsustainable debts due to poor financial decisions.<\/p>\n

‘Their online-only comeback will be exciting for many fans, but it also serves as a stark reminder of their failure to compete effectively on the high street amid a changing market.’<\/p>\n

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Dorothy Perkins was also acquired by Boohoo after its previous owner, Arcadia Group, fell into administration in 2020.<\/p>\n

The brand collapsed after failing to compete with online retailers, with high overheads leading to crippling financial issues.<\/p>\n

Toys R Us, which receives about 61,000 searches every month, went into administration in 2018 after racking up a \u00a315million tax bill.<\/p>\n

Poor sales and struggling to keep up with technology meant the brand wasn’t able to pay off its debts.<\/p>\n

Mr Hunt said the current economic climate poses an increasing risk, especially to retail businesses, with even well-loved household names falling by the wayside in recent years.<\/p>\n

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Toys R Us is also a popular choice (Picture: Ins News\/REX\/Shutterstock)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

He explained: ‘It is much easier to lose consumers than to retain them, which is why regular market research and competitor analysis are so essential. <\/p>\n

‘Staying ahead of the curve as conditions evolve is critical to long-term survival.<\/p>\n

‘As we\u2019ve seen, poor financial management and decisions have contributed to the downfall of several once-iconic household brands, proving how crucial it is to have effective financial strategies and management in place.<\/p>\n

‘If a business reaches the point where liquidation becomes a risk, swift action is vital. <\/p>\n

‘Seeking advice from a licensed insolvency practitioner (IP) can help clarify your options and potentially avoid insolvency altogether.’<\/p>\n

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk<\/a>.<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

For more stories like this, <\/strong>check our news page<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Which shopping brands do you miss visiting? (Picture: Getty Images) Whatever you think of different shopping brands, one thing is certain: British high streets are shrinking as more and more close down. It’s been a while since Woolworths and Debenhams shut for good, but Poundland is about to close hundreds of stores and Hobbycraft will […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3299,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[11],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3297"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3297"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3297\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3303,"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3297\/revisions\/3303"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3299"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3297"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3297"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3297"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}