MSE News: House of Fraser set to close 31 stores - check if yours is one of them

Former_MSE_Callum

Department store chain House of Fraser has announced plans to close 31 of its 59 stores across the UK and Ireland as part of a rescue plan...

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'House of Fraser set to close 31 stores - check if yours is one of them'

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SuiDreams

2 stores in my area closing, nearest store will now be over an hour away. Looks like I won't be shopping in House of Fraser anymore

donnac2558

The top two performing House of Fraser stores in all of the UK are Belfast and Glasgow. This has been for a number of years.

worried_jim

Went in one in 1999, Leamington Spa I think.

pmduk

SuiDreams wrote: »

Looks like I won't be shopping in House of Fraser anymore

Nobody has been, that's the whole problem.

SuiDreams

pmduk wrote: »

Nobody has been, that's the whole problem.

Unfortunately it is a store I do use we don't have a lot of shopping choice where I live and we seem to be getting hit very badly with store closures recently. There won't be anything here at all at this rate.


A lot of the problems here are the business rates the local councils charge, causes issues for a lot of store hence lots of closures, if they lowered the rates they may prevent more stores leaving and attract other businesses to the empty ones.

pmduk

I've never been in my local one in the 16 years I've lived here, and have no intentions of changing that

Caddyman

I think local Councils business rates do cause significant issues for lots of stores.
As for House of Fraser, it's not a store I personally frequent, in fact, I honestly couldn't say when I last entered a House of Fraser department store. I absolutely sympathise with their staff who it appears for some, have a precarious future.


It is absolutely evident that online shopping is making a massive dent in the High Street. I put my own hands up here, I shop online for most significant purchases these days because for the most part, I can get the goods I want cheaper and if buying from Amazon etc, next day delivery is often part of the deal.


It's all very well wanting customers to use stores, but if they walk in, see and touch something they ultimately intend buying and then walk out and purchase it far cheaper online, who can blame them? I've saved significant money buying products online, from a car to Tv's and toasters. For me, it would be fiscal stupidity to pay 20 percent more from a store front or with some cases, up to 50 percent with a recent purchase from Amazon.


I suppose though, many people do still enjoy the physicality of trudging the shops and so for them major store closures such as have happened recently, especially when it impacts towns that have lost many High Street stores, will feel the impact more.

pmduk

The branch in Manchester seems mainly to be used by groups of middle-aged women who travel to Manchester for a day's shopping.