Long a landmark of Ledra Street in Nicosia, the Debenhams department store will close on March 6, the company officially announced this week.

Retail giant Shacolas Group, operator of the retail chains Debenhams and Ermes, said last September its Ledra Street branch was closing down to make room for Sweden’s fashion clothing retailer H&M to open its first store in Cyprus, but the exact date was not known..

For Ledra Street, it’s the end of an era as the department store which first opened there in 1998 – first as Woolworths, then as Ermes and finally as Debenhams – was for many years the only decent shop in the area, selling clothes, food, household goods, perfume and makeup. Its restaurant has always been popular, and the Shacolas Observatory with its sweeping views across northern Nicosia. Back in the days before the checkpoints opened, the chance to look across was a real attraction.

As the old city has taken off in recent years with clothes shops, bars and cafes spreading out in all directions, shoppers agree that while Debenhams will be missed, it is no longer considered as vital to the area as it once was.

“In the beginning it was packed. And for years it was the only place to buy food when it was considered to be in the tourist area, and the other supermarkets were not open,” said shopper Jenny Constantinou.

“At the time of the opening, it was a courageous move, as Ledra Street was not as popular as it is now. It offered a lot to the revitalisation of the old town. And the observatory was the only place from which Cypriots and foreigners alike could take a good look at the northern part of Nicosia, as there were no crossings then.”

And despite the competition, many shoppers still find it very convenient.

Maria Kyprianou, who works nearby, is one of them.

“In Debenhams you can find more timeless clothes, clothes for actual women and not just teenagers,” she also said. “Next has left, Peacocks has left and what’s left is just for teenagers.”

“It’s useful to have a department store around,” says Mary Constantinou. “I buy makeup here. It’s neither prohibitively expensive like some other places nor really cheap with brands you don’t recognise or trust.”

But for people who actually live in the area, Debenhams’ real value was its basement supermarket. For years, it was the only one, and even now is only one of two. Whilst certainly pricier than the bigger supermarkets elsewhere in Nicosia, for those who live nearby and don’t necessarily have their own transport, Debenhams offered choice.

“They have imported items which we will not find in the small grocery shops around the old town,” said Kyprianou.
Shelves in Debenhams food hall are emptier by the day

“There is also a bakery of sorts. And health food. Where else nearby can I find shelled hemp seeds? The old town needs a supermarket, and it needs a department store. Yes, there is a Debenhams in Makarios Avenue, but everything is happening around here nowadays.”

“The food hall in particular is really useful for people who live nearby or work in the area,” Constantinou said. “I go in three four times a week.”

But not everyone agrees the closure of the store is such a loss.

“It will deprive the consumers of one more retail outlet, but a new shop will be available,” Makis Georgiou commented, “it won’t have a food store but we got used to that.”

“I don’t care if they close. I buy only water here,” another customer in the supermarket said. “It’s cheaper than in the kiosk.”

“The food hall is convenient,” Elena Soteriou said, before adding “but there is another supermarket now, and of course lots of other clothes chainstores.”

The supermarket she referred to is MAS at the bottom of Onasgorou Street. It is often busy with a wide range of shoppers including Filipinos, East Europeans, Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots.

“I used to go to Debenhams but MAS is cheaper, so I buy some things here and the rest in small groceries. They are much cheaper and I get most things there,” one Filipina explained.

Though they do have Kyprianou’s hemp seeds, MAS has a smaller choice of health food. There is also a small choice of pre-packed bread, but nothing like the bakery section at Debenhams.

Whilst it’s good to know that people in the old city won’t be left without imported foodstuffs, the closure of Debenhams definitely marks the end of an era for the area. Perhaps the opening of H&M marks the start of a new one.