More than 10 years ago, the Oxford Mail’s graphic artist Mel Costello and our photographers created these stunning images to show the changing face of the city’s shopping streets over the years.

In some places, there have been radical changes in a short time but in others change has been more gradual.

Here are five big changes to Oxford's shopping scene in the past decade.

Boswells

Shoppers were shocked in 2019 when the historic department store Boswells announced it would close.

The store on the corner of Broad Street and Cornmarket Street has been trading since 1738, and was the second oldest family-owned department store in the world.

Oxford Mail:

It stopped trading early in 2020 and never reopened after lockdown.

The building is now being converted into a hotel called The Store.

The Westgate Centre

Following a £440m revamp, the shopping centre reopened in October 2017, with 100 new shops and restaurants and a rooftop terrace.

It transformed the city's shopping offer, and the main focus of the retail offer shifted away from Cornmarket.

Debenhams

Shortly after the closure announcement regarding historic Oxford department store Boswells, the Debenhams chain collapsed and went into liquidation.

Oxford Mail:

The closure of Debenhams' Magdalen Street branch, left John Lewis as the city's only remaining department store.

Read more: Debenhams closes forever

The future use of the Debenhams building does not appear to have been finalised.

Northgate House in Cornmarket

A Jesus College £40m scheme for new retail units and student facilities in the centre of Cornmarket is nearing completion.

Oxford Mail:

The design, construction and operation of the college's new Cheng Yu Tung Building means it will be one of the city centre’s first fully zero carbon buildings.

Duckers

Late in 2016 it was announced that world-famous Turl Street shoe shop Ducker & Son would close.

The unit was taken over by Oxford Wine Company.