DEBENHAMS department store in Oxford will not reopen after lockdown ends, the Oxford Mail can reveal. 

In an email sent to employees, retail directors said that the store on Magdalen Street will not reopen because 'the landlord has served notice on the store as they have alternative plans for the site'.

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The email said this notice from the landlord means the company 'must permanently close [their] Oxford store.'

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All the staff at the department store have now been made redundant. 

The news comes after Debenhams announced last week that it would shut six stores nationwide.

These stores included the Oxford Street Debenhams, as well as sites in Portsmouth, Staines, Harrogate, Weymouth and Worcester.

The Magdalen Street site was not mentioned as a store that would close.

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You can read the full letter about the closure below:

"Dear colleagues

"As part of our commitment to keep you informed of changes in our store estate, we must now share some news about our store in Oxford.

"The landlord has served notice on the store as they have alternative plans for the site. We have reviewed the lease end date compared with when the national lockdown is likely to be lifted, and we have concluded that it’s unfortunately not possible to reopen the store before the lease expires. This means we must permanently close our Oxford store.

"This is disappointing news for our colleagues in the Oxford store as unfortunately the majority of roles will be made redundant. During lockdown, a small group of colleagues have been working hard to fulfil the Endless Aisle operation, which they will continue to do, and then will support clearing the store. Once the store is cleared, these colleagues’ roles will also be made redundant.

"As you can imagine, this was difficult for our colleagues to hear, but they have shown professionalism and integrity when we shared the news this morning.

"We are very thankful for to all our colleagues in Oxford for their hard work and dedication. We appreciate this is a difficult time for colleagues, and we are proud of how our teams have come together to support each other.

Thank you."