House of Fraser to close !

Sorry for the job losses, but for along time it has been a dull muddled store, like Debenhams. I cannot remember when I last went in one and I am not surprised the chain has collapsed.

I will correct my OP apparently the entire chain is not to close. Sadly most if their stores are though .

I think the day of the department store is over. It’s all individual concessions now anyway. I wanted a smart dress for a wedding and had to go all over the store to see what each concession had. Sales people are attached to their concession and wanted me to just try on their stuff before going to another concession. Only three items in the changing room at a time ! Dress, for ndress, dress, undress. I lost the will to live, let alone buy.

I wonder if the management actually ever try shopping in their own store!

I’m afraid I agree with MOnica, and frankly I wonder if the writing is on the wall for Debenhams too. Their stores seem very lacklustre these days. It is a shame that so many should lose their jobs though.

I was surprised to see Oxford Street branch is on the closure list - that is always such a busy place.

I read an article yesterday that said just that greyduster. In Leicester there is a gazillion pound refurbishment of an old department store and House of Fraser combination to make way for a Zara flagship store and other high end boutiques.

The news today says House of Fraser to close 31 stores including the Oxford Street branch.

But, strangely, not the Nottingham one which is always half empty. We sometimes call in as it is between the car park and John Lewis and feel terribly sad that it is nowhere near as good as in the 'old' days.

It’s a sad day .... primark and the internet wars have done this ... modern times and I do feel sad for the workers ... and the store ... there are worse things in life I know ... just feeling nostalgic for all the British’s brands disappearing .. HOF 170 years old !

I too think Debenham's will be next.

Northampton Marks and Sparks announced it was closing recently, and there's already talk it will be replaced by student flats ! And that's in what is essentially the High Street !

Sad for the people who will lose their jobs, but as others have said Debenhams and John Lewis are losing their charm, as Primark is stepping in and the Internet taking over.

Not surprised. In Edinburgh they bought over Jenner’s (store with a LONG history). Also had Frasers at the other end of the street but put the same sort of stuff in each store so locals tended to go to one only. Tourists went to Jenner’s. The result, the west end store is to close (and if I remember correctly, has been sold to developers).

It's a shame for so many to lose jobs. When I last went in our local store I found it so dull.

Not surprised the original House of Fraser in Leicester closed and turned into a tatty outlet store. It used to be like a ghost town. If you went up to the top floor, many times there would be absolutely no-one around, not even staff. The first time it happened I wondered if it was even open, and I wasn’t meant to be in there. The outlet store was dreadful, I thought, I don’t miss that, but it’s a shame for people who have lost jobs. Debenhams and M&S both look a bit tired, perhaps the day of the big department store is over, they are all concessions now, not really one store at all.

I'm with MOnica here in that I can't remember when I last ventured over the threshold of a HoF establishment. Think I find them somewhat dull and the layout of our local Debenhams is awful. It's always sad to hear of prospective job losses but I suppose I contributed in some small by not shopping there. Chicken and egg methinks?

Our nearest town has, for many years, only had two shops worth visiting, M&S and HoF.
HoF has been getting slowly worse over the past ten years or so, threadbare carpets, narrower range of goods, sullen staff, I've been expecting it to close for a long while.
Didn't expect lots of other stores to close too though.

House of Fraser have also shelved plans for a flagship store in Chester which was due to be part of a new renovation programme.
We will loose our local HOF at Birkenhead Wirral,in the same shopping area M&S closed two months ago the area is now full of £ shops and the like,so sorry for the workforce some who have worked there for many years.

I shop in Debenhams as it's one of the few shops that has clothes that suit me (and it has toilets!) but find it rather run down and old fashioned looking. It is also uncomfortably hot. I find House of Fraser looks smart but it's clothes are mostly very expensive.
I buy Primark clothes for my DGDs but don't think much of their stuff is suitable for the older generation, except for leggings.

Only been in it once or twice, not my cup of tea. M&S is going downhill too. Looked at their £19.50 chinos not keen on them either.

Jenners was sooo beautiful, the staff addressed you as Modom and it had quaint, other era charm. Then HoF vandalised it into a homogenised, charmless edifice and called it modernising, BAH!
Mine, and all the private school uniforms came from Jenners. Sad times.

The House of Fraser near us is always fairly empty of customers. It's ridiculously overpriced.

I'm a huge fan of Zara, Mango and Primark but do shop around quite a bit in John Lewis, M&S, Urban Outfitters, Joules and independents. I like looking online, making a few notes about things I've seen then either ordering,or going to the shop itself. Superdrug and Space NK are my go-tos too.
Debenhams and HoF seem old fashioned.

I've found the couple of Army and Navy stores I've visited marginally better than Debenhams. I can only agree with others regarding that store, I've always found them pretty dismal and they certainly don't display their wares and make the most of their spaces the way John Lewis do, who are also feeling the bite. I'm sorry A&N are closing and for the job losses that will go with that. I don't look forward to a high street dominated by the Primark, who I know are highly competitive in our throw away society. In fact I'll be really sorry if the high street disappears altogether and all we are left with are the online and highly questionable Amazon and the like who treat their staff appallingly

GrandmaMoira
I buy quite a lot of clothes for myself from Primark and I'm 73. Shirts, tops, trousers, skinny jeans, dresses, sportswear, scarves etc and some homeware. I do, however, have to splash out on Bravissimo lingerie to get the best fit.

it is sort of sad but on the other hand the department stores have failed to keep up, move on or even provide basic service.
Example I went to John Lewis as I had vouchers and wanted a lap top. A horrible hot area, absolutely no staff, when I did find someone he couldn't be bothered looking at me.

Second example , the till in Debenhams I ask the assistant to check I have selected 2 sandals in the same size ( forgot glasses). Yes, she assures me they are size 5. At home I discover I have 3 and a 7!!!