House of Fraser / Debenhams

Would you like me to write it in verse then?

I’m simply making the point that a lot of people who have worked all their lives in institutions like HOF are probably going to lose their employment-that is rather disturbing and sad for those impacted.

We know Dixons are closing over 100 stores,Debenhams are in trouble,Carpetright closing a lot of their estate,WH Smith’s business model is outdated.All down to the internet which provides a platform for the likes of Amazon,Ocado and ASOS.

Department stores and secondary shopping centres without an ‘experience’ for the shoppers are on the way out.The consequences are dire for those employed in the sector.

For decades retailing wasn't seen as an attractive career option for university graduates and was often considered a last resort. I wonder if the unimaginative management in many store chains is making them more vulnerable to internet shopping and new entrants. M&S Food has gone ex-growth, Waitrose customers are deserting in droves and even Next is finding life much tougher. I really feel for shops like McColls which are trying to re-invent themselves as convenience stores as very few people under 30 buy newspapers and magazines any more.

Someone like PD can make money by buying cheap retail assets and reinvigorating them. But it's a treadmill where he needs to keep adding as Jaeger and Peacocks etc can't buck the retail trends.

carwash wrote: For decades retailing wasn't seen as an attractive career option for university graduates and was often considered a last resort. I wonder if the unimaginative management in many store chains is making them more vulnerable to internet shopping and new entrants. M&S Food has gone ex-growth, Waitrose customers are deserting in droves and even Next is finding life much tougher. I really feel for shops like McColls which are trying to re-invent themselves as convenience stores as very few people under 30 buy newspapers and magazines any more.

Someone like PD can make money by buying cheap retail assets and reinvigorating them. But it's a treadmill where he needs to keep adding as Jaeger and Peacocks etc can't buck the retail trends.

Tinterweb is taking a much bigger share of the cake than predicted.

Supermarkets have brain washed us.

We are in the throw away faze.

Quality means jack all at the moment.

But !!!

Things must, and will go round as raw materials and energy become scarce.

For now, for those of an age who remember Harker and Bells. A major layout for parents when secondary school time came. The same gear can be bought at ASDA for the price of a round of drinks.

The supermarkets killed family businesses and many high streets, what chance to McCalls have ?

But ! The butchers are fighting back with better marketing and ' packaging products ' maybe the bakers can take a leaf out of their book.

Sadly but as anticipated House of Fraser is going into administration. Chance for PD to splash his cash picking up some cheap assets.

Massive value destruction I’m afraid-I reckon Mike Ashley will get it by picking up the best leases.The rest will just disappear or PD picks some of it up.

Sadly this is another sign of things to come for many retail operators.HOF rent was £5m a month!

Laffy wrote: Would you like me to write it in verse then?

I’m simply making the point that a lot of people who have worked all their lives in institutions like HOF are probably going to lose their employment-that is rather disturbing and sad for those impacted.

We know Dixons are closing over 100 stores,Debenhams are in trouble,Carpetright closing a lot of their estate,WH Smith’s business model is outdated.All down to the internet which provides a platform for the likes of Amazon,Ocado and ASOS.

Department stores and secondary shopping centres without an ‘experience’ for the shoppers are on the way out.The consequences are dire for those employed in the sector.

That doesn't even rhyme...

The internet is certainly working against HOF but at the end of the day if people have money they will spend it. Wages have fallen over 10% in Britain over the last 8 years, unlike in Europe where they have risen (average European has seen a rise of 7%), so what can we expect? I wonder how many of the boycotters on here have as part of their agenda saving cash from skipping the football? Nothing wrong with that but we are becoming a nation of poor people, that is reflected in our high streets

Can't remember the last time bought an item of clothing in store I buy it all on line or my mate gets it from America twice a year.Im very brand loyal so know the sizing and often buy out of season getting bigger bargain.The internet lets me buy much more for my money.
Even household and garden goods can be far cheaper than traipsing round the shops city centres will be inner city living with bars restaurants and entertainment only in decade or two

Sports Direct just bought it, £90m.

Carlisle store opened as usual this morning then turfed all customers out and is now closed (apart from Cafe Nero).

Zebby wrote: Can't remember the last time bought an item of clothing in store I buy it all on line or my mate gets it from America twice a year.Im very brand loyal so know the sizing and often buy out of season getting bigger bargain.The internet lets me buy much more for my money.

'George' at Asda have an on line store now, I had no idea?

thetashkentterror wrote: Sports Direct just bought it, £90m.

It probably makes sense with Mike Ashley owning 11% of HOF and 30% of Debenhams, 2 retail giants fighting for the same type of customer in a very tight market. Would imagine there will be a few job losses too. Sad & worrying times for those staff/ workers involved.

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Mike Ashley also has 28% of French Connection which has a dozen or so concession shops in HoF. Joined up thinking from Mike. Oh for an owner like him.

www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/t...sfer-window-15011709

carwash wrote: Mike Ashley also has 28% of French Connection which has a dozen or so concession shops in HoF. Joined up thinking from Mike. Oh for an owner like him.

French connection ! ! ... i thought that was Popeye Doyle ( Gene Hackman )
Sorry, couldn't resist

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Markovitch wrote: The internet is certainly working against HOF but at the end of the day if people have money they will spend it. Wages have fallen over 10% in Britain over the last 8 years, unlike in Europe where they have risen (average European has seen a rise of 7%), so what can we expect? I wonder how many of the boycotters on here have as part of their agenda saving cash from skipping the football? Nothing wrong with that but we are becoming a nation of poor people, that is reflected in our high streets

To save on rope, spend a day or two in and around London and the Home Counties, if you think we are a nation of poor people.

The North / South divide is fit and well.

Then take a look at who has run the Councils in the respective areas for the last half Century, there you will find the answer.

But marko is still right in saying that real wages have fallen over the last 10 years. Productivity has also fallen as why invest in fancy equipment when you can employ a Pole or Romanian on minimum wage to do the job instead.

At the same time the prosperous especially those in the South East have done very well. Money is being poured into some Essex football clubs like Billericay Town who have investment to put CUFC to shame.

Biggest falls in wages have been in the se SO

Playing devils advocate here...Ashley has possibly saved 1000s of jobs with this deal all over the country.... then on the other hand in the monopoly world of the Premier League has Ashley seen sense at thought of forking out as much for a couple of players for 90million...which he believes is unjustified...maybe the reality is he isnt stupid with his money anymore and can see football fees have got long out of hand.throwing money to be mid table or bottom half isnt really viable...its just a case of seeing sense.

£90m seems a good deal. Chelsea just spent £72m on one bloke.

markredfox73 wrote:

Playing devils advocate here...Ashley has possibly saved 1000s of jobs with this deal all over the country.... then on the other hand in the monopoly world of the Premier League has Ashley seen sense at thought of forking out as much for a couple of players for 90million...which he believes is unjustified...maybe the reality is he isnt stupid with his money anymore and can see football fees have got long out of hand.throwing money to be mid table or bottom half isnt really viable...its just a case of seeing sense.

He's a businessman not a football man

He has successfully sent rangers fans into a perma-rage by stitching them up over kits, he gets the bulk % of any purchase made

A couple of weeks ago, there was a quiz about who were each premier league's club most expensive signing - www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/44857227 . Newcastle's is still Michael Owen from 2005.

Sounds about right-BBC saying this is a chance of a lifetime to access many upmarket brands without a lot of pain.

Feels like branded clothing is about to become a lot cheaper.

CCU wrote: The Sports Direct owned ‘Flannels’ will likely be at the forefront of the HoF revival I’d guess.

Ashley has already said he wants to make HoF a ‘Harrods of the High Street’, so a pushing of Flannels combined with the concessions already in with HoF will be likely.

Interested to see how they get on...

Didn’t know they had Flannels too. I was at SJP on Saturday, the one in Newcastle not Exeter and noticed a pretty heavy Flannels presence on the digital pitch side stuff. Should have put 2 and 2 together I suppose!

I've seen them advirtising boards on TV and never thought that git owned it.

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CCU wrote: Carlisle store saved:

News & Star @newsandstar

BREAKING: Carlisle's House of Fraser store saved from closure. What do you think of the news? Story:… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

27 Aug 2025 14:04

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Wonder if he fancies adding a league two club to his portfolio ?

CCU wrote: Not as many folk in shops as lots shop online. Anyone who knows anything about retail knows that!

The oft quoted number is far less than most would think. Only 20% of us regularly shop online.

HoF need to appeal to a wider range of shoppers

Great news for jobs, but the on-line juggernaut will not be stopped....

"The market for online shopping is growing at a remarkable rate. Approximately 87% of U.K. consumers have bought at least one product online in the last 12 months, and the United Kingdom is second only to Norway for making e-commerce purchases in Europe. Across the world, nations such as China and the United States are the biggest online buyers, but other countries are catching up. In the coming 12 months, the market potential for British e-commerce is expected to improve dramatically. According to data from the Office for National Statistics, online sales increased by 21.3% during 2016 and should reach 30% by 2017’s second half."

EWM are now said to be pulling their brands out of House of Fraser. Mike Ashley isn't becoming best buddies with Philip Day by the look of things.
www.theguardian.com/business/2018/sep/05...inburgh-woollen-mill

A lad I went to Uni with used to work at Debenhams, he told me that they are massively in the shit cos of their rents.

They sold off most of their real estate in the last lot of costs cutting measures which brought in a short term boosts, but then the rents were agreed with annual increases, which have now added up so much that some of their stores are paying out huge rent rates.

Reported today John Lewis is now struggling
On rents, greedy landlords need a reality check....rehash expectations or risk no income from a vast empty building

Paying Elton John £5 million for the Christmas TV Ad makes sense then(not)

How many people don’t go in these shops between Christmases? I think lve been in Binns once since l was a kid with my mum.

Goes to show that utopian worker led companies can get it wrong too eh Marko.Chairman using Brexit as an excuse which would wash if their competitor set weren’t doing so well eg Next.

These places normally sell over priced tat like a Grandad would wear or your Gran, woolie zip up cardies that the bloke on the Worthers adverts would wear and the likes.

Laffy wrote: Goes to show that utopian worker led companies can get it wrong too eh Marko.Chairman using Brexit as an excuse which would wash if their competitor set weren’t doing so well eg Next.

Heard that sales at 'Next' have also dropped off a bit.

Primark is the one you should have quoted.

Laffy wrote: Goes to show that utopian worker led companies can get it wrong too eh Marko.Chairman using Brexit as an excuse which would wash if their competitor set weren’t doing so well eg Next.

Is that the same Next that just closed their children’s branch in Carlisle?

Why are people thinking John Lewis is a clothes shop?

Mostly white goods and household stuff like a billion different lampshades from what I've seen in the Edinburgh store

Next had a shocking 2017. Edinburgh Woolen Mill seems to be doing well though

Next moved the kids dept to the Lanes branch

orfc wrote: Why are people thinking John Lewis is a clothes shop?

Mostly white goods and household stuff like a billion different lampshades from what I've seen in the Edinburgh store

Plenty (cheap) clothes shops on the high street, these struggling department stores need to look at what they sell and I'd say JL is a true department store as is Fenwicks at Newcastle which still have a place as not everybody wants to buy cheap stuff. (Believe it or not) ...race to the bottom springs to mind!

melbourneblues wrote:

Laffy wrote: Goes to show that utopian worker led companies can get it wrong too eh Marko.Chairman using Brexit as an excuse which would wash if their competitor set weren’t doing so well eg Next.

Is that the same Next that just closed their children’s branch in Carlisle?

Closing the children's branch had been on te cards for years. Carlisle was the only place to still have a standalone children's branch, everywhere else had merged them with the main stores.

Laffy wrote: Goes to show that utopian worker led companies can get it wrong too eh Marko.Chairman using Brexit as an excuse which would wash if their competitor set weren’t doing so well eg Next.

Pretty sure the main point they put it down to was that they had tried to compete with their competitors on constant discounts, which has led them to a big hit in their profit margins. Their "never knowingly undersold" motto has as a result taken a hit.

They are one of the few that are competing across 2 sectors with having John Lewis and Waitrose.

Every business is going to use the uncertainty of Brexit, because they detest uncertainty.

Only been in one John Lewis shop, I believe it was in Tamworth - as said above over priced household tat and white goods, we weren't impressed either.

Another middle class paradise that will go to the sword with or without Brexit's help.

Nice little announcement this evening from Mike Ashley to say he's sacked all the House of Fraser directors and senior management.