Major UK department store shuts huge branch in busy shopping centre

The subdivision pulled its shutters down for the past clip contiguous (Image: Google)

One of the biggest and astir iconic stores successful House of Fraser's portfolio unopen its doors contiguous contempt its determination successful a large shopping centre.

The section store permanently closed its beingness successful the Greenhithe retail analyzable successful Bluewater, successful Dartford, Kent, contiguous aft 25 years astatine the site.

Next volition reportedly determination into the unit, scaling up from a smaller tract successful the buying centre to the 2 floors presently occupied by the Fraser radical branch.

While immoderate whitethorn beryllium mourning the departure of the precocious thoroughfare staple truthful adjacent to Christmas, a closing down merchantability did springiness them the accidental to nab items astatine 20% disconnected starring up to the last time of trading.

Department store closures are being a predominant occurrence amid the emergence of online buying (Image: Getty)

Locals person sounded the alarm implicit the implications of the store's departure connected the out-of-town complex. Tudor Price, main enforcement of the Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce, said: "Customers whitethorn halt returning erstwhile they realise the anchor store is nary longer there."

"It does not look good. And portion of buying successful a ample centre is that it is simply a precise experiential thing. You privation everyplace to look good," helium told KentOnline.

House of Fraser, which began beingness arsenic a tiny drapery store successful Glasgow successful 1849, was saved from collapse by billionaire Mike Ashley successful 2018, but has been forced to upwind a pugnacious fewer years since, with conscionable 14 of its 58 stores inactive successful operation. A slew of closures successful 2023 included the retailer's bases successful Solihul, Cardiff and High Wycombe arsenic good arsenic its Cabot Circus subdivision successful Bristol this summer.

It comes amid a question of UK-wide store closures arsenic the retail scenery continues to endure from precocious rent, changing lawsuit habits and the cost-of-living crisis.

But Frasers Group main enforcement Michael Murray has besides warned that the House of Fraser marque could vanish wholly arsenic portion of a large-scale shingle up of the company. The businessman, who took up his presumption successful May 2022, told the Telegraph that the section store was a "broken business" erstwhile it changed hands six years ago.

"We've wholly changed the operating model," helium said. "It was mostly concession the stores were mode excessively big, they were under-invested. Our aboriginal imaginativeness is that House of Fraser volition dimish and Frasers volition grow." 

He hopes that smaller units volition beryllium to beryllium a amended economical exemplary successful what speaks to a inclination of diminution among erstwhile section store giants, with Debenhams and John Lewis besides closing ample branches arsenic buying moves online.