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Site of the former Debenhams store in Barrow-in-Furness bought by defense giant BAE Systems
Revived: the old Debenhams in Barrow-in-Furness
For decades, shoppers have flocked to Debenhams in Barrow-in-Furness for their fashion fixes and bra accessories.
Now the site of the former department store will become home to a different kind of precision engineering after being bought by defense giant BAE Systems.
Demand for the manufacturer’s military equipment, from fighter jets to frigates, has skyrocketed amid heightened global tensions following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The Cumbrian shipyard town is already home to BAE’s submarine operations, which are expanding training and development facilities as the workforce grows by 11,000. Now BAE is buying four former town center retail properties, including former WH Smith and Body Shop locations, Debenhams and a rooftop car park.
BAE has given few details about its plans for the old stores, although it has said it will refurbish rather than tear them down.
It raises the prospect of makeup counters being replaced by submarine simulators and bargain bins giving way to missile tube blueprints.
With Debenhams going out of business two years ago – and now only existing as an online brand after being bought by Boohoo – some of its former stores have been snapped up by rivals including Marks & Spencer, Dunelm and The Range.
Others have found more colorful residents. The one in Wandsworth, South West London, is now a Gravity Active, with plenty of leisure activities from climbing walls to an indoor go-kart track.
The building in Gloucester is being converted into a lecture hall for the university. Others will be converted into flats, a boutique hotel and even a gallery. Many are still empty. BAE said it will build on the extensive investment it has already made in the town in Barrow. The submarine division, which is based there, wants to hire more than 2,500 people this year.
Steve Timms, Managing Director of BAE’s Submarine Operations, said: ‘For more than 150 years our shipyard and the local community have worked side by side to support each other and this investment is a demonstration of our continued commitment to developing and defending the city. ‘