By Bridie Adams

THE former Paperchase and ground floor of Debenhams at Hereford’s Old Market are under offer.

This means the two empty shops could soon be getting a new lease of life.

The Debenhams store at the shopping centre closed in 2021 as Debenhams collapsed into administration and shut down all its shops across the UK. In March this year, Paperchase also went into administration and closed its stores, including Hereford.

While the upper floor of Debenhams has been changed into offices and let to M and M, the ground floor and the smaller Paperchase unit have been empty since. M and M is an online clothing company based in Moreton-on-Lugg.

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But unit 21 and the ground floor of unit 1, formerly Paperchase and Debenhams, are now under offer, according to commercial property website Completely Retail, bringing hope that the two shops could soon be reopening their doors under different ownership.

British Land, the company that owns Old Market, said that it is unable to give any further updates on the future of Debenhams or Paperchase, which have been on the market with agents Green & Partners since their closure.

Old Market is home to a combination of high-street shops and chain restaurants, as well as independent retailers and eateries. However, it has been hit by the closure of several shops in recent years, like Swarovski, Frankie & Benny’s (now home to Beefy Boys), and Topshop.