Zeenat Maudarbocus worked in the young fashion department at Allders from 1997 to 2001.
The iconic department store first opened in 1862 and became a landmark in the borough, but its closure in 2013 is often seen as the beginning of the decline of Croydon’s shopping scene.
Zeenat, 50, told Your Local Guardian: “Coming to the UK as a new immigrant from Mauritius was hard to make friends.
“But Allders was the perfect job for me at the time.
“The girls I worked with were friendly, nice, and very inclusive.
“I felt really sad when I found out the store was gone.”
In 2001, Zeenat left Allders for a job at the Home Office, partly influenced by rumours of major redevelopment.
She said: “24 years ago, they were talking about plans to build this gigantic shopping centre.
“There were talks about joining Allders together with the new cinema on St George’s Walk.
“These talks have been going on for more than 24 years, and now we are seeing some development coming along.
“But I don’t think they can ever recreate Allders the way it was.”
Zeenat compared Croydon’s Allders to Selfridges and said it stood out for its wide range of brands and products.
“The perfume in Allders was the best,” she said.
“I’d buy all my Eid gifts then.
“I really miss the perfume section they had.”
She added: “I’m not really sure what happened to Allders and how they suddenly shut down.
“It’s sad, because Allders was, what they called, a flagship store.”
A flagship store is a retailer’s most important branch and for Croydon, Allders held that role for over a century.
The majority of people we spoke to on the topic of Croydon’s shopping landscape used the term “ghost town” to describe it.
Zeenat agreed, remembering a more vibrant high street in the early 2000s.
She said: “I still shop in Croydon, because it’s easy for me to get to by bus.
“But it’s not what it used to be.
“Now, we are very limited in Croydon.
“I don’t want to use the word ‘tacky’, but there are these cheap shops that all sell the same things.
“We need better shops.”
Zeenat hopes the regeneration will bring jobs for younger people.
But she says her favourite memories are of the Allders team spirit.
She explained: “It was so much fun working with them all day.
“We had music on, and the characters just lit up with the music.
“The girls would be dancing and singing on the floor.
“Now, everyone looks miserable, but that was never seen at Allders.”
In June 2012, Allders went into administration and closed after more than 150 years.
Croydon’s regeneration has since faced years of delays and false starts.
“There needs to be more development on the business side,” Zeenat said.
“I just feel like everything is so slow.
“I’ve been here for nearly 30 years… and we’re still in the development process.
“Croydon leaders need to change.
“We need more young people in these areas.
“If we’re just waiting for things to happen, how much longer will it take?”
This summer, seven new shops are set to open inside the Allders building, with borders scheduled to come down.
But for Zeenat, it’s bittersweet.
She said: “Seven new stores don’t sound like a lot to me.
“Croydon will never go back to the way it was before.”
Over the past few months, Your Local Guardian has been digging into the transformation of Croydon’s shopping scene.
This week, we’ve uncovered the extent of vacant retail space, spoken to local business owners, gathered opinions from shoppers, and taken a closer look at what the future could hold for the town centre.
Keep an eye out as we explore how shopping in Croydon has evolved — and where it’s headed next.
