What next for Brighton high street after major shop closures?

The comments from Brighton Pavilion MP Caroline Lucas came following a devastating week in which Topshop and New Look both confirmed their branches in the city would not reopen after lockdown.

The flagship Debenhams shop in Churchill Square shopping centre is also to shut for good after the chain was bought by online fashion retailer Boohoo. The company will take on the brand and website, but Debenhams’ 118 stores are to be axed.

And the fate of the Peacocks and Jaeger sites in Brighton and Hove also appears sealed, with the owners remaining in administration.

The Jaeger in Castle Square has been cleared out with all signage removed, while the Peacocks stores in London Road and Blatchington Road advertised closing down sales before being forced to shut by the third national lockdown.

A series of high-profile high street shops have announced they will be closing their Brighton stores for good, while the fate of others remains uncertain

Several of the closures have been linked to the economic impacts of the coronavirus crisis.

There are concerns for Churchill Square, Brighton’s largest shopping area, as it loses Debenhams and its large Topshop and Topman store.

New Look, nearby in Western Road, has also served its last customers with bosses confirming the large site will not reopen.

It has been cleared out with all stock and fittings removed from inside the building.

Ms Lucas is concerned about the closures. She said: “Losing an anchor store like Debenhams leaves a gaping hole in one of the most important shopping sites in Brighton.

Brighton Pavilion Green MP Caroline Lucas

“It’s already lost so many other stores and I’m very concerned that the impact will go beyond Churchill Square. Big stores like this help create a retail ecosystem where smaller independent shops can thrive and they are vital to the local economy.

“Online shopping has been able to undermine our high streets, taking advantage of a taxation system weighted in their favour.

“That needs to be addressed urgently. But local authorities also need the funds to start re-imagining our high streets for a different future where people can still gather, socialise and spend time, creating that sense of community that we all need.”

Mark Buchanan-Smith, centre director at Churchill Square, expressed disappointment at the collapse of major high street brands with branches inside the centre.

READ MORE:

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• City centre New Look store has served its final customer
• Argos to close hundreds of stores including Brighton site
• Paperchase to close stores despite lifeline deal

But he said Churchill Square would adapt and recover from this “short-term loss”.

Mr Buchanan Smith said: “We were disappointed to hear the announcement that Topshop will be closing its store here at Churchill Square. We would like to express our gratitude to the hardworking and dedicated team who have provided exemplary service to the customers of Brighton.

“There’s no doubt that this is a short-term loss, but here at Churchill Square we will continue to adapt, and are already in talks with some exciting brands, with announcements to be made in due to course.

“We are optimistic about these possibilities once the pandemic and its restrictions are eased.”

A series of high-profile high street shops have announced they will be closing their Brighton stores for good, while the fate of others remains uncertain

But with the recent blows to its vibrant retail scene, how will Brighton and Hove’s shopping streets recover from the coronavirus pandemic?

Gavin Stewart, chief executive of the Brighton Business Improvement District also known as Brilliant Brighton, had some ideas.

He said: “Undoubtedly, we will need to reimagine what the ‘high street’ looks like and ask why people would want to come to Brighton.

“In Brighton’s case, the visitor economy is a great meld of retail, culture, music and hospitality.

“I think there is a real opportunity for Brighton to lean into its strengths and build up that multi-faceted offer even more.

A series of high-profile high street shops have announced they will be closing their Brighton stores for good, while the fate of others remains uncertain

“We have talked a lot about the theatre of retail in the past. But, there may be a growth now to the theatre of the high street where visitors can go shopping, but they’ll also get a unique Brighton flavoured experience at the same time with pop-up artist installations, music or theatre throughout the year.”

He said the city has reinvented itself before and was confident it could do so again to allow the area to thrive. Mr Stewart said: “Pre-Covid, the city welcomed more than 11 million visitors a year. With the rise in the staycation, we need to be ready to welcome all those visitors again but, this time, offer them something exciting and new.

“We’ve got to view this as a chance to create a city that is both great to visit but is also able to give opportunity to more people and start-up businesses – new ventures and new beginnings.”