Sunderland has had many department stores over the years. In particular, Sunderland city centre has seen many of these stores come and go. However, there has been an odd one in some areas of Wearside.
What Is A Department Store?
So, what exactly is a department store? Firstly, these are basically large retail shops that usually sell a large array of consumer goods. Secondly, the stores have their products in separate departments. For example, you may have departments that sell furniture, electronics, clothing or cosmetics etc. In the larger stores these departments may also be on different floors. In many cases, these floors will have a lift or escalator for easy access.
Sunderland Department Stores
Obviously, two of the most famous departmental stores in Sunderland are the ones that closed their doors for good recently. Those two are Binns and Joplings of course. However, there have been others and we would like visitors to Wearside Online to help write about these.
For example, we need information about Blacketts which closed in 1972. Then there was Littlewoods on the High Street in the city centre. However, we know there were many others. So, if you would like to write a 200+ word article on any of these old Sunderland department stores, please do so here. Obviously, you may write about any of these large retail stores from anywhere around the Wearside area too.
Of course, if you have any memories about working in any of these stores, let us know your experiences etc. Furthermore, any images that accompany your articles or comments would be great. You may do this here on the Wearside Online community website here or in the Sunderland Forum. The Sunderland Forum is for all districts around Sunderland, of course.
Recent Articles
We already have two comprehensive articles on these stores which were once an important part of our shopping history. Therefore, we are looking for a few more articles to complete the collection.
So far, these are the stores which are complete articles:
Binns – Fawcett Street, Sunderland.
Joplings – John Street, Sunderland.
Obviously, should you wish us to correct any details, please contact us. Also, if you wish to add another store to this collection, please feel free to fill in this form.
Finally
What are your memories of shopping in Sunderland, in particular, these massive department stores? Please comment below with your recollections. You may also like to create a new thread in the massive Sunderland Message Boards (SMB). The Sunderland Forum is a great way to share your thoughts and opinions on all local matters.