WAGs heading out to the Euros will only have TK Maxx and Woolworths (2024)

Fans hoping to hit the shops during England'sEuro 2024may have an unexpected trip down memory lane, as host cities are full of British stores which no longer exist in the UK.

The England team are staying at the remote Spa and Golf Resort Weimarer Land outside Blankenhain, around a 40-minute drive from Erfurt.

The closest city to the squad's training camp is decidedly short on the luxury labels such as Luis Vuitton, Gucci and Chanel.

Erfurt, in the central Thurangia region, boasts one of Germany's best preserved medieval towns.

It is blessed with budget supermarkets such as Aldi and Lidl, but many will be surprised to see italso boasts many British shops which no longer exist in the UK.

Both towns have a branch of C&A, the High Street clothing store which left the UK in 2000.

WAGs heading out to the Euros will only have TK Maxx and Woolworths (1)

WAGs heading out to the Euros will only have TK Maxx and Woolworths (2)

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Pictured left is a Woolworths in Ledbury, Herefordshire, pictured in 2000 before leaving Britain's streets in 2009. Pictured right is the shop in Erfurt, Germany, today

Both Erfurt and Blankenhain have a branch of C&A, the High Street clothing store which left the UK in 2000. Pictured is the branch in Erfurt

A TKMaxx in Erfurt, one of the best preserved medieval town centres in Germany

WAGs heading out to the Euros will only have TK Maxx and Woolworths (3)

WAGs heading out to the Euros will only have TK Maxx and Woolworths (4)

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C&A on Kensington High Street, London, in the 1980's before it left in 2000, and on the right it is pictured in Erfurt, Germany today

The chain announced its withdrawaldue to competition from Tesco and Asda, as well as from expanding names such as H&M, Zara and Topshop.

And amazingly,Erfurt even has a Woolworths, which left Britain's streets in 2009 - a loss which became a symbol of the financial turmoil in the UK at the time.

It had more than 800 stores in the UK prior to closure, and officially dissolved in2015.

These shops are a regular occurrence in the country, with the host cities in Germany - Berlin, Cologne, Munich, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Dortmund, Leipzig, Gelsenkirchen, Stuttgart and Düsseldorf - having similar chains.

The high street in the city of Erfurt in the Thuringia region of Germany

Pictured is a C&A clothing store in the German city of Frankfurt

WAGs heading out to the Euros will only have TK Maxx and Woolworths (5)

WAGs heading out to the Euros will only have TK Maxx and Woolworths (6)

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Pictured left is The Body Shop in Wimbledon, south London, 2006. Pictured right is the same shop in Erfurt, Germany today

Other names every Brit will recognise from home include cosmetics company The Body Shop, which originated in Brighton and recently faced collapse.

The shop's newer rivals and TikTok sensation Lush, which is headquartered in Poole, Dorset, can also be found on the streets of Erfurt.

WAGs and fans will also find British brand Ted Baker in the town, which began as a menswear brand in Glasgow in 1987.

Read More Sorry Wags there's no Gucci or Chanel where you're going this summer for the Euros

While TKMaxx was founded in Massachusetts in the US in 1976, the first international store opened in Bristol, UK, in 1994 and soon became a staple of the British high street, with 351 currently open.

Other stores which - despite their country of origin - settled into British shopping centres a long time ago will be in the town, including fashion brand ONLY.

Sportswear shop Decathlon - from France - has over 50 shops in the UK since it came across the pond in 1999.

Levi's - which is American - has 71 stores in Britain, and Flying Tiger - from Copenhagen - has 85.

UK high street staple Zara - which many Brits will be surprised to find out originated in Spain - can also be found.

Another Spanish brand many Brits likely assumed was British due to its popularity in the UK is H&M - which can also be found on the streets ofErfurt.

All of them will be easily accessible to the WAGs and England fans if they decide to venture out.

WAGs heading out to the Euros will only have TK Maxx and Woolworths (8)

WAGs heading out to the Euros will only have TK Maxx and Woolworths (9)

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Lush is pictured in Cambridge in2018 on the left, and in Erfurt today on the right

UK high street staple Zara - which many Brits will be surprised to find out originated in Spain - can also be found on the streets of Erfurt

A similar sight of budget store Primark in Munich which will be a host city

Erfurt in the Thuringia region of Germany, the closest city to the England team base, has high street shops including TKMaxx, H&M (pictured), C&A and other fashion outlets

Both Primark and TKMaxx in Gelsenkirchen, which will also be a host city

It is blessed with budget supermarkets such as Aldi and Lidl, but many will be surprised to see it also boasts many shops which no longer exist in the UK. Pictured is an Aldi inBlankenhain

The players' partners will be well-catered for with bars, cafes and restaurants, with hearty local specialities such as Thuringian dumplings and bratwurst sausages.

The FA has spent an estimated £800,000 to secure the entire 94-room property for the duration of the tournament.

In the end, the Germans had to make do with a week-long training camp the resort, before making way for England at the end of May.

During the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the WAGS such as Bukayo Saka's Tolami Benson, then 22, Jack Grealish's Sasha Attwood, 25, and Aaron Ramsdale's Georgina Irwin, 26, blitzed the malls of Doha.

And while Erfrurt has its own large mall called Anger 1, the only designer stores in the historic centre include Jack and Jones, Levis and G-Star RAW.

Levi's - which is American - has 71 stores in Britain and can also be found in Erfurt

Woolworth can also be seen in the German city of Cologne

Yet another Primark can be seen in the host city of Cologne

A H&M store can be seen inStuttgart, which also be a host city for the 2024 Euros

Other stores which - despite their country of origin - settled into British shopping centres a long time ago will be in the cities fans visit, including fashion brand ONLY

The FA purposely settled on the central Thuringia state as a base after England manager Gareth Southgate declared a desire to ensure no distractions in the camp.

Read More German police demand England fans are served low-alcohol beer at 'high risk' Euros opener vs Serbia

Asked if he envisaged a repeat of the sideshow that engulfed the national team in the 2006 World Cup in Germany, when WAGs such as Coleen Rooney and Victoria Beckham created more headlines than the team as they partied in the spa town of Baden-Baden, Southgate said: 'Well, no! We want somewhere where we can be a little bit on our own. We need that nice contrast of relaxation and areas where we can work.

'You want to minimise travel where you can - but our staff are really good at picking venues the players will enjoy and feel comfortable in.'

He added: 'We want their families to enjoy the tournament too. We welcome them in at various times.

'It really changes the dynamic of the hotel, especially if kids come in, and those elements are important for the players.'

The WAGs and families are expected to make flying visits to the base camp on the day after matches to see their loved ones in the squad, including Sunday's group stage clash with Serbia.

A source said some may quickly return to England before flying back out to Germany after the following game in Frankfurt against Denmark, while others - particularly families with children - may stay in the area for a short break.

The FA is expected to lay on transport for families flying in to cities such as Berlin, Leipzig or Frankfurt, as the regional Erfurt-Weimar airport does not have a direct flight connection to Britain.

WAGs heading out to the Euros will only have TK Maxx and Woolworths (2024)

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