dg comments

please empty your brain below

I wonder how different it looks (if at all) with all the closed TJ Hughes and BHS stores. They did tend to be next to the others anyhow.

Chz | 18.10.16 - 7:08 a.m. | #

You missed out Selby's in Holloway - it still has a website, so I assume it's still going.

dg writes: Ah, the other store in the Morleys empire. Now added, thanks.

EdC | 18.10.16 - 7:28 a.m. | #

Lived in Ealing for 5 years. No idea where Daniel is.

Hang on, I've never even HEARD of them before. Wtf? Who the heck is Daniel ?!?

dg writes: Ah, the Windsor Daniel is a department store, but the other two branches are merely 'bedding and furniture'. Both removed, thanks.

Geofftech | 18.10.16 - 7:28 a.m. | #

We have just had a compact John Lewis open in Chelmsford Small but perfectly formed and saves a drive to Bluewater !!!. First store in Essex.

LYnn | 18.10.16 - 7:34 a.m. | #

There's no John Lewis in Docklands. There's a very large Waitrose with two floors of John Lewis merchandise.

Mike Scott | 18.10.16 - 8:02 a.m. | #

Having lived in Germany where every high street has at least two department stores and these completely dominate commercial activities, I'd say we're better off with our small shops.

Dan | 18.10.16 - 8:16 a.m. | #

Daniels was in West Ealing and was a department store before it diminished to it's present form. Ealing also had another department store, FH Rowse which also had a sub branch in West Ealing. West Ealing also had an M&S. (A friend started there aged 14 as a Saturday boy and still works for M&S at Head office after 45 years).

dg writes: Added, thanks.

Dave | Homepage | 18.10.16 - 8:23 a.m. | #

I fear that anyone heading for some retail therapy at the Wandsworth branch of M&S will be disappointed. It's really just a food outlet at a BP petrol station.

There's a similar one in nearby Southfields but I don't think either can really be called a department store.

dg writes: Deleted, thanks. M&S's Store Finder is annoyingly over-comprehensive.

Nightmale | 18.10.16 - 8:43 a.m. | #

Classifying which M&S stores should count as Department stores is difficult. However, I'd definitely include the one in Westfield Shepherds Bush and High St Kensington, both are bigger than say Wandsworth.

dg writes: Added, thanks.

I've not been inside but the Edgware Road store also looks like it's a proper department store.

CP | 18.10.16 - 8:51 a.m. | #

Well done for using cornerstone rather than linchpin.

running_correspondent | 18.10.16 - 8:57 a.m. | #

I've also realised from Nightmales comment that Wandsworth is a bad benchmark, it really is just a convenience store but the ones I mentioned are also bigger than Clapham Jn (which I still think of as Battersea).

CP | 18.10.16 - 8:57 a.m. | #

Fascinating stuff DG as I used to live near Streatham till the 80s and had not realised that Pratts, from about 1940 part of the John Lewis chain, had closed. Particularly interesting is the only 'chain' with multiple stores other the obvious leaders, M&S, Debs etc: Morleys. I had never heard of them until they took over and recently revamped but did not rename a long established and well loved store in Newbury, Camp Hopson. Any observations from south of the river about Morleys strengths/weaknesses would be appreciated.

Berkshire Boy | 18.10.16 - 9:06 a.m. | #

I think its certainly arguable that the Kingston M&S is a department store. Others?

dg writes: I accidentally omitted that one, thanks.

David | 18.10.16 - 9:31 a.m. | #

The Kingston M&S is so big they took over the Littlewoods across the road when that closed.

Bentalls is in fact now part of Fenwicks and most of the original store was given up for a shopping centre.

The John Lewis in Croydon is not in downtown Croydon and also isn't a John Lewis store as you might know it. More a box in a retail park called John Lewis at home. I think that means no fashion.

dg writes: I've 'downgraded' a couple of the John Lewises. That'll make a few commenters happier.

ap | 18.10.16 - 10:21 a.m. | #

Whiteley's in Bayswater? Think it's about to go through redevelopment soon but its definitely still open

| 18.10.16 - 10:22 a.m. | #

I thought I'd spotted a gap - Peter Jones in Sloane Square/Kings Road but I realise that it's Victoria on your map. Amazed to read that Bodgers is still going!

dg writes: It was accidentally stumbling upon Bodgers which inspired today's post!

rashbre | Homepage | 18.10.16 - 10:34 a.m. | #

@ anon at 10.22; Whiteleys is no longer a dept. store, some time ago it was converted to a shopping centre (three levels with shops inc. M&S, and a cinema) retaining the facade and central staircase. More recently many of the shops have closed and it's now waiting for another transformation.

amber | 18.10.16 - 11:04 a.m. | #

This post reminded me of Randalls in Uxbridge. Its been closed for a few years now but it was quite something. Very old fashioned but in this stunner of an art deco building.

Adam S | Homepage | 18.10.16 - 11:53 a.m. | #

More M&S stores

Islington
Kew
Colliers Wood (Merton)

The last two are on retail parks not in towncentres, similar to Charlton.

dg writes: Cheers, I've squeezed those in.

CP | 18.10.16 - 11:58 a.m. | #

There's a sizeable M&S in Chelsea, on the King's Road.

dg writes: ...and squeezing that in has caused me to rejig the entire map!

Jonathan Wadman | 18.10.16 - 12:22 p.m. | #

Habitat and Heal's on Tottenham Court Road - do they count as department stores or are they too narrowly focused?

Oliver | Homepage | 18.10.16 - 1:06 p.m. | #

M&S in Wimbledon sells food only

Roger Goodacre | 18.10.16 - 1:17 p.m. | #

John Sanders in Ruislip looks like it's after my time 1964.
Looking at the images of the store, I remember a cinema.
I did make a trip back in 1998, but so much had changed,
I did however visit my old home, the current occupants were so very kind, to let me have a look inside.

Michael | 18.10.16 - 1:33 p.m. | #

Bodgers is something else. Very quaint and a bit confusing inside. Tried to find something in there - despite finding the right department almost straight away it took what felt forever to find the actual item.

Having been very spoilt when growing up in Newcastle with Bainbridges (now John Lewis), Binns (gone but what would now be House of Fraser) and Fenwicks (still going strong) along with one of the best M&S in the country it was rather odd to come south and to struggle to find any real equivalence away from Oxford St. None of the London Fenwicks get remotely close to the Newcastle one in terms of departments / product ranges and far too many M&S stores are disappointing.

PC | 18.10.16 - 2:25 p.m. | #

New shiny John Lewis progressing well as Westfield London. That will move the centre of gravity a bit west. Few more years until Westfield brings a proper John Lewis to Croydon though, but it is coming.

EskimoPie | 18.10.16 - 2:28 p.m. | #

I'm wondering if some of the largest Tesco (Extra) and ASDA stores should count as 'department' stores? Thoughts anyone

dg writes: Whatever thoughts anyone has, they won't be going on my map, sorry (because they'd break it). But, good question.

E | 18.10.16 - 2:28 p.m. | #

There was a branch of John Lewis on the Holloway road, closed about 15 years ago. part of the site is now a waitrose.

dg writes: See 'Jones Brothers'.

coffin dodger | 18.10.16 - 3:35 p.m. | #

I guess that DG hasn't been at work today, as he has been responding to these two posts throughout the day.

Or, if he is at work, then "AHEM" cough !

dg writes: I wouldn't attempt posts like these on a day I was at work.

petras409 | 18.10.16 - 5:56 p.m. | #

There is a fairly small M+S on Putney High Street, which does men's and women's wear as well as food. It is over multiple floors, has more than one entrance, and has a dividing wall internally, which I think is a good measure of a department store (c.f. the M+S at Waterloo). Never has any socks in my size, mind...

dg writes: Added, in the 'Wandsworth' box, ta.

andy | 18.10.16 - 6:48 p.m. | #

@ andy, I think the defining size for a department store was 10,000 sq ft (and as I said earlier it should sell at least 7 types of merchandise, which excludes Primark, Heals and others). But it's now a very long time since I worked in commercial property, this may have changed, it would certainly be metric! And anyway not many of us can assess floorspace area, so your description makes it sound eligible.

amber | 18.10.16 - 7:28 p.m. | #

M&S only ever seems to have two departments - lots of clothes, and a bit of food. I'm not sure it should count as any more of a department store than your average supermarket, with lots of food, and a bit of clothes.

dg writes: That'll be why I coloured M&S in grey, against the grey background.

ttmb | 18.10.16 - 7:34 p.m. | #

The bigger M&S stores have homeware departments and the biggest include Furniture.

rational plan | 18.10.16 - 8:16 p.m. | #

to clarify; the 7 types of merchandise could include menswear, ladieswear, footwear, homeware (towels, bedding etc), food, alcoholic drink, cosmetics. Most large M&S stores sell all these and more.

amber | 18.10.16 - 9:03 p.m. | #

Living in Wimbledon for several years I really enjoyed spending time in Ely's, especially the kitchenware on the top floor. The choice of stock was a bit eclectic and you never knew what you'd find.

Btw there is a small mistake in your text - it's actually located on Wimbledon Hill Road, not Wimbledon High Street.

Rob | 18.10.16 - 9:15 p.m. | #

I guess it's arguable whether a supermarket (as opposed to a true department store) fits the bill. The recently opened Sainsbury's at Charlton is larger than the one it replaces (the eco-building one) and now sells a range wide enough to suggest it's trying to move into the type of market traditionally associated with M&S.
(And, having mentioned M&S, they've also opened at Charlton, too)

RogerW | 19.10.16 - 5:31 a.m. | #

Romford had a branch of Gamages, their first satellite to the Holborn store, in the seventies.

Bob Massey | Homepage | 19.10.16 - 7:02 a.m. | #

M&S in Wood Green (Haringey)...

dg writes: The M&S Store Finder is not admitting that this store exists.

EskimoPie | 19.10.16 - 9:17 p.m. | #

On the criteria deemed acceptable for M&S above, I think the one on King Street in Hammersmith qualifies.

dg writes: Added, thanks.

ScottInLondon | 19.10.16 - 10:30 p.m. | #

Uxbridge has a M&S.

dg writes: Added, thanks.

Richard | 20.10.16 - 11:10 p.m. | #

I think that the lack in North London might also be down to the easy access into central London by tube.

Wheels | 26.10.16 - 4:14 p.m. | #

Morleys will soon be coming to Bexleyheath, Bexley to replace BHS.

Kathryn | 26.11.16 - 7:29 a.m. | #

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