Taking a look back at the high street stores you can no longer visit in Swindon town centre there are many shops that have closed without the fanfare of Debenhams, McIlroys and who can forget Woolies.
Over the decades Swindonian shoppers have had to say goodbye to many of their favourite stores – and that’s from the main shopping streets in the town centre, not including out of town shopping parks or the Outlet Village.
We’ve pulled together a list of some of the biggest and best-known shops we miss – it’s by no means an exhaustive list so feel free to add your own memories in the comments below.
Argos
2020 saw Argos leave its position in the town centre to concentrate on Greenbridge and smaller units within Sainsbury’s stores at Bridgemead and Stratton.
Barratts
Barratts and Priceless Shoes both left the high street after over 100 years of trading, falling into administration a number of times, most recently in 2011. Barratts which was once the place to go to buy shoes is now an online comparison tool for shoe buying.
BHS
Many people were sad when BHS closed its doors for the final time in August 2016.
After starting out in a huge store on the corner of Bridge Street and The Parade, the store temporarily moved up to Regent Street into the empty Woolworths store whilst its new home was built in a smaller unit, part of its original home, in the Parade – now home to Wilko.
Body Shop
The Body Shop quietly closed in 2017 although the chain still has a store at the Outlet Village in Rodbourne.
Burton, Miss Selfridge, Burton, Wallis, Evans and Dorothy Perkins
One of five Arcadia stores to close at the same time, Miss Selfridge, Burton, Wallis, Evans and Dorothy Perkins. 2019 was a bad year for Canal Walk.
C&A
June 2000 saw the announcement that fashion retailer C&A was going to close all of its UK stores including the large unit in the Brunel Shopping Centre.
After 21 years of trading in the shopping centre the last few days of the sales saw thousands of shoppers leave the store with bargains before anything left was donatred to local charity shops.
Etam & Tammy Girl
Etam and Tammy Girl was the place to shop if you were a teenage girl in the 90s.
In 2005 the store in the Parade was taken over by the Arcadia Group and was changed into a Monsoon before this also closed quietly in 2019.
La Senza
La Senza’s Swindon store closed back in 2012 after the chain went into administration.
Littlewoods
While Littlewoods is still trading online their Swindon store was sold to Primark in 2007 along with 120 other stores throughout the UK.
McIlorys department store
13th January 1998 was a sad day for many a shopper in the town centre. After 123 years serving Swindonians with everything they could possibly need to buy it was announced that McIlroys was going to close.
April 30th, twenty-two years ago the doors closed for the final time with tears from shoppers and staff, some of whom had worked in the store their whole working life.
Morrisons
Opened just five years as part of the newly redeveloped Regent Circus, Morrisons announced they would be closing in the town centre. Rumours of Tesco taking over the empty space were made at the time but nothing has come about yet.
Our Price
Our Price, once owned by Swindon based WHSmith went out of business in 2004 however its Swindon store was closed some years before this when Virgin Megastores was bought.
Poundworld
Poundworld closed its store 2018, with the site since taken over by One Below, another discount retailer.
The closure was due to the retailer going into administration.
Republic
Republic was at one time many shoppers’ go-to store for designer clothing yet nobody seems to know when or why it closed?
Topman & Topshop
After escaping the Arcadia cull in the town centre it was announced earlier this year that Topshop and Topman would be moving into Debenhams. With last weeks announcement that Debenhams is also closing it would appear the these stores are also part of Swindon’s shopping history.
Virgin Megastore
Based in the Brunel, the store was once a go to for anyone after the latest singles or vinyls. Going into administration on Christmas Eve 2008 the store went on to became Zavvi before That’s Entertainment – both closing.
Woolworths
No list of stores from the past would be complete without Woolies.
Best remembered for its ‘pic n mix’ selection, news that it was closing came as a complete shock to shoppers who visited the store for anything from mobile phones to children’s clothing or maybe just a cut through!
After opening in 1914 the doors finally closed in 2009 leaving a large vacant space in the middle of Regent Street.
