6 shops that Salisbury used to have (and we all miss)

For some of the high street's biggest brands, the impact of the pandemic and three national lockdowns has been the final nail in the coffin.

Many retail giants have been forced to call in administrators in the past 12 months, closing dozens of branches up and down the country and cutting jobs.

Luckily, Salisbury has many independent shops that make it an attractive place to live, work and visit.

A number of new, family-run businesses even managed to open during lockdown and now that restrictions have been partially lifted, the city has come alive again.

However, as a direct result of the pandemic, Salisbury too has had to say goodbye to some high streets names we all loved.

Below are six shops we used to have and that we all miss.

1 - Debenhams

The closure of Debenhams in April last year left a big gap in the city centre (quite literally).

The prominent site in Blue Boar Row, now boarded up, remains empty to this date.

There is hope Smith & Bradbeer, who already own the building, will open a new department store, but nothing has been confirmed just yet.

2 - Jaeger

This shop on Butcher Row closed when administrators for the company made cuts to 13 stores and concessions last November.

3 - Topshop

Retail giant Arcadia, which owns brands such as Topshop, Dorothy Perkins and Burton, went into administration in December.

Sadly, this means Salisbury's Topshop branch in Old George Mall never reopened.

4 - Pets Pantry

This pet shop was actually in Wilton but attracted customers from all over south Wiltshire.

Owner Helen Curtis decided to shut the shop for good after 34 years in January.

Her plan now is to open a completely different business in either Devon or Cornwall.

5 - Burger King 

Burger King on the High Street closed for the first time last March and never reopened.

The fast-food chain was asked on numerous occasions about its plans for the city branch but never responded to any requests from the Journal.

Its restaurant at Amesbury Services reopened in June.

As of July last year, only about 370 of the restaurant chain's 530 UK stores had reopened since the nation went into the first lockdown.

Speaking to BBC’s Newscast, chief executive Alasdair Murdoch said one in 10 outlets may not reopen as a result of the pandemic.

6 - Pizza Hut

The closure of Pizza Hut in Blue Boar Row was confirmed in September when the dining chain launched a company voluntary arrangement (CVA) restructuring deal to avoid collapse.

About 450 jobs are thought to have been affected by the move.

Back then, Pizza Hut said it had put forward the proposals as “sales are not expected to fully bounce back until well into 2021”.

Are there other businesses you miss? Let us know in the comments or email us.

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