Jane's Midlife Journey

There was a period of time when shops in Bournemouth town centre were closing left, right and centre and the place was at risk of becoming a ghost town. Luckily, places like Bobby’s Department Store have helped to ensure that the town centre remains a fun place for a bit of retail therapy, as well as entertainment, eating and drinking.

Bobby’s is located in what, until a few years ago, was Debenhams Department Store. Already struggling to attract customers, Debenhams closed during the Covid lockdown and didn’t reopen. The premises lay derelict for a while, before reopening as Bobby’s. The building is being renovated in phases. It contains a range of retail outlets, restaurants and co-working space.

How to get to Bobby’s

Bobby’s is located in Bournemouth Square in the centre of Bournemouth, just a few minutes walk from Bournemouth Beach, via the Lower Gardens.

By Bus

Most buses to Bournemouth stop at the row of bus stops at Bournemouth Square, just in front of Bobby’s.

Parking

Parking in Bournemouth can be tricky. And expensive. With local fares capped at a maximum of £3, it’s probably better to catch the bus. If you do drive, the nearest car parks are Avenue Road Car Park (£3.20 for 2 hours) or NCP Bournemouth Terrace (£1.95 for an hour via the NCP App or £2.95 on the day).

Bobby’s Opening Times

General store opening hours are as follows:

Monday to Saturday: 10 am – 5.30pm
Sunday : 10.30 am – 4.30 pm

Some businesses have slightly different hours. For example, Bobby’s Parlour opens earlier:

• Monday to Saturday: 7.30 am – 5 pm
• Sunday: 8.30 am – 4.30 pm

And the Botanist closes much later:

• Sunday to Thursday: 11 am – 11 pm
• Friday and Saturday: 10 am – 1 am

History of Bobby’s

Bobby’s originally opened in 1915 and traded for almost 60 years before becoming Debenhams in 1972. In recent years, it had become rather sad and dilapidated, before finally closing its doors to the public in 2020. The building was subsequently purchased by property group Verve, who brought back the original name and introduced a plan to restore the building to its former glory. Verve’s stated goal was to create “A multi-functional destination, centred around beauty, health, food, drink, art, culture and community.”

Th building is being redeveloped in phases, with the first phase, consisting of ground and first floor retail outlets and a second floor art gallery opening in September 2021.

A year later, the second phase; the lower ground floor retail outlets and a tunnel linking the store to the Gardens were opened. The second floor subsequently closed for refurbishment and the art gallery is, sadly, no more.

Ground Floor

• Bobby’s Beauty Hall
• Franco Manca
• Bobby’s Parlour
• In-Time Watch & Jewellery Repair

Bobby’s Parlour cafe offers sandwiches and baked goods plus awesome ice cream. We chose salted caramel pretzel, which was most excellent.

First Floor

The First Floor is now home to Patch, which offers a suite of work and event spaces.

Second Floor

Since its opening in 2021, the second floor was the domain of Giant art gallery. Unfortunately, Giant has now closed and the floor is about to undergo renovation. But, Bobby’s have promised that the new tenants will also be arts focused, so watch this space…

Lower Ground Floor

• AFC Bournemouth Store
• Born to Bloom Florist
• Ivyline Inspired Living
• The Paw Print Boutique
• Wild Roots Greenery

Note: The Lower Ground Floor is currently closed for renovation. In the meantime, the above stores have a presence on the Ground Floor.

Tunnel

There is a second entrance to Bobby’s via a tunnel from the lower floor to the Gardens. This newly renovated area now boasts a set of six paintings of iconic Bournemouth buildings (including Bobby’s itself of course) painted by local artist Lucanart. The tunnel also has a history section telling Bobby’s story and displaying artifacts discovered during building work.

Third Floor

Last autumn saw the opening of the third floor, which is private office space for local pizza oven company, Gozney.

Fourth Floor

May 2025 saw the opening of the 4th floor, featuring The Botanist Restaurant, complete with a rooftop bar overlooking the town.

One thing I love about coming here is that the phased refurbishment means that each time I visit, there is something new to enjoy. This sense of anticipation is heightened by the pop-ups, events and changing exhibitions at the art gallery.

Events

An aspect that sets Bobby’s apart from the average department store are the wide range of events offered in store. From pop up markets to art displays and crafting workshops. There isn’t a huge amount going at present, due to all the building work, but a list of upcoming events can be found here.

Bobby’s For Children

Activities for children are usually laid on, such as biscuit decoration and art workshops. Obviously, children love Bobby’s Parlour and at Christmas, to add to the excitement, there is Santa’s Grotto.

• Updated: October 2025

I hope you found this information useful. For more inspiration on things to do in and around Bournemouth, check out my 101 Things to do in Bournemouth here.