The War Years, 1939-1945

A wartime banner above the shop, declaring how much had been raised so far for the Minesweeper’s fund

An altogether different wartime experience

The war years were intensely damaging for the nation as a whole, as shops, factories and general livelihood up and down the country suffered under the wraths of war. Welwyn Department Store had an altogether different war experience, shaped primarily by the opening of the new department store in 1939.

Welwyn Department Store, minutes before opening in 1939

Brand new chapter

The opening of the new department store was marked with considerable joviality by a substantial crowd. After all, Welwyn Department Store was now the biggest building in Hertfordshire. Some had been waiting for almost ten years to see the store in a building it both deserved and needed. Whilst the new opening signalled a brand new chapter, the store would understandably have to wait until after the war for things to really take off.