A much-loved Merseyside department store is preparing to reopen after being closed for more than a year.
Beales, on Lord Street in Southport, shut its doors in March 2020, after administrators struggled to find a buyer for the famous chain.
The premises, at the front of Wayfarers Arcade, remained open for some eight weeks while a closing down sale took place.
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In February 2020, Will Wright, joint administrator from KPMG, told the ECHO : “We’d like to thank all Beales employees for their wholehearted support and assistance during the administration process.
"We understand that the failure to achieve a sale so far will come as disappointing news, but can assure them that we will continue in our efforts to secure some form of positive outcome.”
Prior to this, the site had been a department store for 139 years, home to businesses including Broadbents and Boothroyds.
This week, signs have appeared in the window, saying: “Beales Department Store – Your New Store Is Coming Soon.”
It is good news for Southport, which suffered a double blow when both of its department stores - Beales and Debenhams - closed last year.
Last year a new company, New Start 2020, bought the Beales brand, and hired Tony Brown, chief executive of the old business.
Mr Brown previously said: “We are actively looking at the success of our Poole store, which opened in August 2020, to mimic that in other towns.
“A small chain of four or five department stores is much more sustainable than 200.
“We believe there will be more opportunities for further UK store openings over the next year.”
