Debenhams - Basingstoke

Sad that it is shutting down due to Covid however whilst it was here I found many clothes that suited me along with friendly staff and a range of sizes with suitable prices. Covid has ruined Debenhams for me as many workers are becoming unemployed potentially resulting in more struggles for those without a job.

Nice department store. For those visiting from the states I'd liken it to a Macy's in that it is a multilevel department store selling many premium brands. I bought a suitcase and some small clothing items that I forgot back home. The employees were very friendly and professional in every department except one (I'll come back to that). They pointed me in the right direction or walked me there each time. They answered questions I had about local brands that I was not familiar with giving me the opportunity to make an informed decision. The store was well lit, well stocked, everything was properly displayed and fronted, and obviously well ran store. The only con on the whole place was what I think was the makeup counter. Their was music played that got turned up pretty loud and two of the younger girls were playing on their phones talking about weekend plans right there in the isle way while they other employees were busy polishing glass and straightening merchandise. Seemed very odd that they were the only ones in the whole store allowed to get away with this. But, like I said, it was overall a great experience, I was rung up by a young lady in training and a young man showing her the ropes (he caught the alarm/dye pack she missed luckily) and even took the time to explain how if I was buying something such as the suitcase to be taken out of the country he could give me the paperwork to get my VAT that I was paying for it refunded at the airport. That's the kind of service that makes premium Dept stores worth it over buying everything online or at the cheapest place around.

Closing down; Coffin built by Amazon and nails driven in by Covid. Such a shame. Only saving grace is that Mike Ashley didn't get his hands on them in the end. Hoping all the employees can find new work. RIP Debenhams.

Good value to be had especially when there is a sale on. The staff are very nice. The size of the store is very large. The only thing keeping it from being a perfect 5 stars is the stock system is a bit unreliable as the jacket in large size I was after showed 1 in stock even when one couldnt be found and they were unable to order one in stock for collection the following week. Ultimately I walked away from the £90 sale and went to another store and committed myself there. Shame

I'd have been having trouble using my Debenhams credit card and was on the verge of cancelling my account.so I go into the store, men's dept, where a lovely lady named Linda helped me to sort it out. She called the credit card company, then gave me the phone but stayed close, while serving other customers, in case she needed to speak to them. She was helpful and friendly, hence the 5 stars for excellent customer service.