Debenhams reopening in Gravesend joining Westwood Cross store as Kent's only stores following administration
18:00, 16 June 2020
updated: 20:08, 16 June 2020
The county's other remaining Debenhams store will reopen tomorrow morning.
The shop in Gravesend joins the large branch at Westwood Cross as Kent's only Debenhams after company plunged into administration during lockdown.
The Thanet store reopened in the first wave of 50 on Monday with the town centre outlet in New Road, Gravesend now ready to welcome customers again.
Debenhams in Gravesend is one of 38 stores reopening in England tomorrow.
Company bosses say "a raft of measures" to keep colleagues and customers safe have been installed across the business.
Some 2,000 Perspex screens have been fitted at tills, staff have been given visors and gloves and queue management schemes have been introduced.
Steven Cook, managing director of Debenhams, said: “We were pleased with the first day of reopening in England yesterday, following the reopening of our Northern Irish stores last week.
"Our customers have been complimentary about the safety precautions we have introduced.
"It is very early days of course, but we look forward to opening most of our remaining English stores on Wednesday.
"Longer-term, there will be plenty of issues to be resolved, notably around unsustainable rates bills, if the High Street is going to get back onto a sustainable footing.”
The company called in adminstrators in April putting 22,000 jobs nationwide at risk.
The two stores in Kent still remain at risk of closure.
As part of an earlier restructure, the chain closed stores in Ashford, Chatham, Canterbury and Folkestone earlier this year, despite an ongoing court case.
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