22 unseen retro pictures of Preston's old Debenhams store and Fishergate Shopping Centre back in the day

The Preston branch of Debenhams opened in the mid-1980s.

At the time of opening, the new Debenhams was the flagship store of the newly-opened Fishergate Shopping Centre, which can still be found at the top end of Fishergate up next to Preston Railway Station to this day.

Debenhams as a business, however, can trace its roots all the way back to 1778, when it first began life and opened its doors as a drapers shop.

By 1950 it was the largest department store group in the UK, selling a variety of items - most notably clothes and cosmetics.

But in 2019 business took a turn for the worst for the chain store and it closed its doors on all shops around the country.

Debenhams now only operates as an online business.

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