Debenhams has said it will reopen 50 of its stores in England on June 15 as coronavirus restrictions are eased.

But the retailer, which recently entered administration, said it will only reopen 120 stores after a series of closures, having entered the lockdown with 142 stores.

It said it will open three stores in Northern Ireland on June 8, with its two other sites in the region opening shortly after.

It said it will then reopen 50 stores in England on June 15, with the remaining stores following later in the week.

Debenhams said preparations for the reopenings are “well under way”, with strict social distancing and hygiene procedures being implemented across all stores.

Meanwhile, its stores in Scotland and Wales will reopen once Government restrictions are eased, it said.

Our reopening plans follow the successful conclusion of lease negotiations on 120 stores, meaning that the vast majority of our stores will be reopening

Steven Cook, managing director at Debenhams, said: “We are delighted to be welcoming customers back to our stores in the coming weeks.

“From the installation of Perspex screens at till points to the roll-out of social distancing procedures and PPE, we have been working hard to ensure our colleagues and customers can work and shop with confidence.

“Our reopening plans follow the successful conclusion of lease negotiations on 120 stores, meaning that the vast majority of our stores will be reopening.”

Last month, Debenhams said it will cut hundreds of head office jobs as it looks to drive a turnaround in profitability.

Debenhams was already struggling before the lockdown and fell into administration on April 9 in a protective measure against creditors demanding their money.

Since the coronavirus pandemic shut all non-food retailers, the department store has announced the permanent closure of at least 12 stores, with thousands of job losses.

– Stores reopening in Northern Ireland on June 8:

Belfast
Newry
Rushmere

– Stores reopening in England on June 15:

Barrow
Bath
Bedford
Blackburn
Blackpool
Bournemouth
Bristol
Bromley
Bury
Bury St Edmunds
Cambridge
Chelmsford
Chester
Chesterfield
Colchester
Hanley
Harrogate
Harrow
Hastings
Hemel Hempstead
Hereford
Ilford
Ipswich
Leeds
Lichfield
Lincoln
Liverpool
Luton
Mansfield
Meadowhall
Northampton
Norwich
Oxford
Portsmouth
Redditch
Scarborough
Scunthorpe
Sheffield
Staines
Stevenage
Stockport
Taunton
Torquay
Wakefield
Westwood Cross
Weymouth
Winchester
Worcester
Worthing
York Monks Cross