Green Market to new market: Debenhams returns to Newcastle

Making an impact in a city where a lot of your obvious rivals already have a well-established presence is never going to be straightforward and may be fraught with peril. This truism is probably magnified if you happen to have started from scratch, rather than taking an existing unit - building a new store from the ground up and opening in a position that is not a traditional hot spot for shoppers.

Now consider a payback time of less than four years and a return on capital employed in excess of 80%, and you might be inclined to scratch your head a little and wonder if it will happen. Yet these are the numbers given by Michael Sharp, chief operating officer at Debenhams, as he sits enjoying a cup of coffee four days ahead of the opening of the department store operator’s latest retail behemoth, in Newcastle.

The store opened on February 16 and, in this instance, there is not a hint of exaggeration in the word behemoth, as this four-floor, 128,000 sq ft store is the largest to have welcomed shoppers in central Newcastle for some time. It is also not quite such a risk as the opening paragraph might imply. Where the new Debenhams stands, there was once a somewhat down-at-heel area known as the Green Market. In order to create the new store, this had to be razed completely for space to be created.

All of which is a little disingenuous, as this Debenhams is in fact part of the new extension to Eldon Square, which the Green Market made way for, and it shares the site with retailers as various as New Look, a new Topshop and another branch of the expanding Apple estate.

Up and coming spot

As such, this may be a store that is in what might have been considered off-pitch in days gone by, but with the clutch of retailers that have opted to take space in this brand new development, it seems probable that a new shopping axis has been created in central Newcastle.

It is also an impressive structure. One of the more obvious advantages of starting with a clean slate is that a retailer is likely to get the store it wants, rather than having to adapt its act to suit a location. Certainly, standing outside the store, its steel and glass lattice frontage cuts an architectural dash in this once less than glamorous part of the city centre, adding a certain high-rise élan to the surroundings. The store is four storeys high and follows what, according to Debenhams head of creative Mark Stevens, is fast becoming an established layout for the retailer, along the lines of the stores it has opened in Liverpool and then Westfield in London over the past couple of years.

Stevens uses the “evolution” word, so beloved of store design departments within retail organisations, to indicate that what is on view is not necessarily a radical step for Debenhams, but is different. In fact, there are significant differences between this store and what can be seen in its most recent high-profile predecessors.

Enter what is effectively the basement - although it is labelled the ground floor - and you are on the menswear floor. All of the usual Debenhams store traits are on view, although there is rather less of the sense of being funnelled around the space by a none-too-subtle walkway.

The John Rocha area is of particular consequence. Debenhams has made much of its association with major names in the world of fashion design and the long-haired Rocha has been part of this almost since the off. In the Newcastle menswear department, however, his wares have been given pride of place, with a red carpet leading shoppers and the eye through an arch that, if you stand on the walkway, leads to what looks like a glossy black cross. This is an illusion formed by the up and down escalators, but the effect is dramatic.

The other point that is very apparent about this floor is that each of the many brands that are on show have a clear identity, both in terms of point of sale and the space that has been afforded to them, making in-store navigation very straightforward. It is also worth noting the collections of shiny silver mannequins dotted around the floor, some of which are lined up to create what Stevens refers to as a “mega catwalk.” Once again, this fosters drama in an area that is frequently a bit of an also-ran when set alongside the glamour of the women’s collections.

Devotees will also notice that there are two new additions to the designer stable at Debenhams, with stalwart Ben de Lisi being used to create a collection under the Principles name - the first outing for the brand since it disappeared from the high street last year - while design tyro Henry Holland gets his first outing.

Head up to the ground floor, and it’s beauty and accessories, with what must be one of Newcastle’s biggest handbag offers. The “mega catwalk” is once more in evidence and there is a large shoe department, although creative director Mark Woods says that this is an area that remains to be refined. Certainly, when contrasted with the white simplicity of the men’s shoe offer in the basement, it still needs a little work.

That said, it is on this floor that the first real effect of the store’s external lattice is really apparent. There is a lot of natural daylight - a feature that continues throughout the store as progress is made to the upper floors. “We took our standard panel and post [around the perimeter] and stripped it back to allow the light to come in,” says Stevens.The beauty houses have also pulled out the stops for this store, with all of them installing their latest fit-outs.

Another floor higher, it’s womenswear - a canter through much that is familiar in Debenhams’ newer stores, but somewhat slicker than previously and finally, at the top of the shop, it’s homewares, kidswear and a restaurant.

It’s hard to define what makes this store better than other Debenhams branches, but it is. There is a branch in the nearby Metro Centre, but compare the two and this one wins hands down. It also provides an anchor store for this southerly extension to Eldon Square. Debenhams will have to contend with a Fenwicks flagship and a very large John Lewis, both situated in the older part of the shopping centre.

It may have its work cut out to compete with these hardy perennials of the city’s retail offer, but this is as good as it gets for Debenhams and it seems probable that it will thrive. There will, inevitably, be some fine-tuning to be done. Sharp says that, in a perfect world, the lingerie department on the first floor, which benefits from an arch in the same way that the John Rocha menswear area does, could have been smaller and he might have made womenswear somewhat bigger.

However, this can be made a reality once a trading pattern has been established. In the meantime, this is a contemporary addition to central Newcastle’s retail offer.