Inside an abandoned Debenhams store that has been frozen in time since the chain’s demise

Debenhams stores across the UK will close for the last time in May 2021, bringing an end to more than 240 years of retail history with the chains struggling during Covid.

Photos show an abandoned Debenhams store that appears to be frozen in time following the chain’s demise.

The now-defunct store was a key feature of Guildford’s high street, but it now sits empty after closing just over a year ago in May 2021.

The store has been a fixture in town since the late 1960s, but it now resembles something out of an apocalypse film or video game.

Instead of the bustle that once accompanied the building, it is now an eerie shell of its former glory.

The shop’s exterior still bears the Debenhams name, and photos show the store frozen in time, with displays and shelving in place as if it were still welcoming excited shoppers.

Another of the images, which were all taken outside, shows the branding for coffee company Costa, though the chairs and tables at the site have been removed.

Guildford Business Improvement District said it was “devastated” to learn of the closure of the “anchor” store, which opened in 1968 as Plummers before being rebranded as Debenhams in 1974.

Debenhams stores in Surrey have now closed to the public after the chain went bankrupt at the end of 2020, including other chains in Woking, Staines, and Walton.

After purchasing the land for £20 million, property developer Native Land announced plans to build a “sustainable” development at the site, which has now been renamed St Mary’s wharf.

They intend to open up the River Wey to residents, provide access to the river from the High Street for the first time in 50 years, and build a new square at the end of the High Street.

Meanwhile, two new sustainable housing buildings will be built with retail and restaurants on the ground floor, as well as 215 new homes with shops, cafes, and other amenities.