Bangor High Street is set for a major lift as the former Debenhams department store, which has stood empty since May 2021, is about to welcome a new tenant.
Property specialists Legat Owen, acting on behalf of a private client, have secured a deal with Trade Outlet, a fast-growing discount retailer, to take on the 57,000 sq ft building, the largest retail unit in the city centre.
The chain, which specialises in selling excess and overstocked goods at deeply discounted prices, has signed a two-year lease. While the agreement is short term, it will breathe life back into a site long regarded as pivotal to Bangor’s retail fortunes.
Shoppers can expect a wide range of household items, homewares, electricals and general merchandise, all sold at a fraction of their original cost. Trade Outlet, which has been operating in the UK for more than 15 years, with existing outlets in Liverpool, Chester, Wrexham and Trafford Park (Manchester), is known for moving large volumes of stock quickly, in some cases up to a million items each month. The business caters to both trade buyers and everyday shoppers, with its no-frills approach allowing it to pass on significant savings.
For Bangor, the arrival of Trade Outlet is about more than bargain prices. Rupert Chadwick-Dunbar, Chartered Surveyor at Legat Owen, believes the move will help reignite activity in the city centre.
“This letting is a positive step for Bangor’s retail landscape,” he said. “Trade Outlet will help draw more people into the city, boosting footfall and increasing consumer spending on the high street. It’s great to see this prominent space brought back into use.”
The Debenhams building, once a cornerstone of Bangor’s shopping scene, closed when the department store chain collapsed in 2021. Since then, the empty anchor unit has stood as a reminder of the challenges facing town centres across the UK.
Longer term, the site is earmarked to play a different role. Cyngor Gwynedd, working with the local health board, Bangor University, and the Welsh Government, has been developing plans for a Health & Wellbeing Hub. The proposed multi-million-pound scheme would bring health services, community support, and wellbeing facilities under one roof in the heart of the city. The council has secured Welsh Government funding and an 18-month option agreement to draw up detailed plans, with a long-term lease expected if the project moves forward.
With the arrival of Trade Outlet, the building is no longer dormant. For Bangor, this means a significant property is now back in use, offering new retail options and increasing footfall to the High Street.
Photo: The former Debenhams Store in Bangor, © Gill Jones
