I’m going to feel quite sad when Marks & Spencer moves to its brand new Liverpool store.
That is not to say I think the relocation to South John Street is a waste of money, or that it will be a terrible place to shop. It’s likely that Liverpool’s shoppers will adore its brand new venue, which will feature a “next generation" food hall.
Furthermore, it’s a relief that the old Debenhams store will be given a new lease of life instead of laying empty in what is a prime location. I’ve not got much issue with the business either - the M&S food hall will be full of delicious ready meals, fresh ingredients and snacks as expected.
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However, for me it marks the end of an era in what it means to go to town. I’m part of the last generation to remember what the city centre was like before Liverpool ONE was built.
M&S felt like it was at the fulcrum of the city’s shopping experience on the bustling Church Street. I was never a huge fan of walking around town with my parents every Saturday afternoon, but going to M&S was one thing I looked forward to.
The old, smaller food-to-go cafe on the bottom floor, accessed via Basnett Street, used to serve a delicious cone of baking hot chips, covered in vinegar. That cafe, and those chips, are long gone but I can strongly recall the taste of those chips as if I had them yesterday.
I also fondly remember my parents' regular chats with Pete, who used to sell The Big Issue outside the store. It was great to hear him talk about his love of his dog and his supreme confidence about what David Moyes’ Everton side could achieve.
Town has undoubtedly improved since Liverpool ONE’s opening in 2008, with exciting shops and restaurants rejuvenating a neglected area of the city centre. But it feels like the former flagships of Church Street, Lord Street and Williamson Square have slowly become afterthoughts as the other, more modern end of town has attracted more visitors and newer places.
George Henry Lee’s moved and rebranded as John Lewis, Rapid which took its place collapsed in 2017 and Williamson Square’s fountains which I foolishly ran through as a child have been turned off for years. Obviously, some of this is me applying rose tinted glasses.
However, I think we should be mindful about what this area has become. Speaking to the ECHO last year about Williamson Square, one local taxi driver said: “Everything over here seems to have gone down to Liverpool ONE, so this side of town has died a death. It's been a managed decline.”
Despite this, it is still packed with shops and restaurants, and forms the first impression of many visitors to the city as they step out of Lime Street. With a flagship store like M&S moving to become part of Liverpool ONE’s offering, Church Street and the surrounding areas could be in danger of being left behind.
The fact that a massive British retailer is investing in Liverpool, despite the difficulties the city and the country’s economy faces, remains a huge positive. Freshly built Next and H&M stores nearby the old M&S show the area is still attracting business and growth.
But when the Church Street store closes its doors in August after being there since 1928, a huge part of Liverpool’s history will go. And with that, difficult questions about the city centre will become even more pressing.
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