CLOSING House of Fraser : A Metrocentre Department Store That Died Twice (CLOSED 12/09/2021)

In this video, we tour a House of Fraser - a common dead mall anchor - in its final days of operation. Since filming, the store has closed permanently.
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In 2018, this Scottish department store brand went into liquidation and all of their UK stores were slated to close. At the last minute, a bid from British billionaire Mike Ashley pulled them back from the edge.
Just three years later, more and more House of Fraser stores are closing. There are those in the retail space here who think it may not be long for this world.
Was feeling a little under the weather when I recorded the voiceover for this video so, if I sound a bit off, that's probably why!
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[@katsudon2048]

I don't even like then to begin with, I only go there sometimes when I need to go to toilet

[@DeadMallWalking]

Ah, the old department store toilet break! A classic 😂

[@gabriellaj.o.6180]

This store is now Frasers. It is the new generations department store. Thank god for Fenwick and John Lewis or what's left of them. The fact they are closing in Doncaster ( Binns) and at Bluewater where they were the original anchor along with John Lewis and Marks and Spencer is very sad.

[@MrMingles]

What's the name of this store? the closest House of Fraser stores to me were in Camberley and Reading but have now closed closed and the closest one is an hour away. The store in Reading was beautiful and doing really well but had to close for a redevelopment. The store in Camberley was the worst, and looked like it had been abandoned before they even shut. These stores look so sad and it's surprising they didn't just close in 2018. Everything is very expensive too.

[@gabriellaj.o.6180]

Ah it's sad to see the old DH Evans as I remember it become like this. IN the mid 1980's this was done up and I loved the Dickins and Jones store around the corner that shut in 2006 along with Barkers. H of F had been declining for years at least since the 1980's.

[@oliverstemp9132]

It’s so sad to see this because Frasers could have fixed it. Instead, they brutally and slowly murdered HoF. A very good look at how HoF failed. I don’t think they’ll have any shops left shortly. However the Frasers group itself is such a weird business I see itself imploding like Arcadia did once they upset the shareholders enough

[@mrlawilliamsukwarmachine4904]

I used to think HoF was ‘posh’. It’s just over-priced. They have loads of boring clothes. They have things like plain hoodies with a huge brand badge. Eg Lacoste hoodies with a 3” logo instead of 1/2”. The staff are terribly rude and sloooooow. I had a couple of terrible experiences in there (Croydon) recently. I was accused of swapping the price on an item. On returning to the store to complain, I had an idiot deal with me.

[@oliverstemp9132]

@@mrlawilliamsukwarmachine4904 HoF did used to a classy shop, but SD filled the shops with their tat, changed all the staff for people that don’t want to be there and then stopped maintaining or updating the stores style or visuals. The experience was ruined.

[@sietskedeboer8470]

If you wish to import and sell products from a licensed brand outside the EU you need permission from the license holder. Imports without this permission are reffered to as "parallel imports" which are banned. This gives the license holder the power to maintain control over quantities, purchase prices and maybe the selling prices in the U.K. and Europe. I think this is the main reason why you can't buy Levi jeans for 15 euro/pounds in the UK and Europe. Maybe this will change in the long run for the UK with the Brexit.

[@DeadMallWalking]

That’s really interesting! Thank you for sharing that with me. It’ll be interesting to see, especially given that there’s crossover with the likes of Asda/Walmart - the latter could easily ship some cheap Wranglers to the UK if, say, the style isn’t popular in the US...

[@bricks4beck748]

This store actually didn't look to bad, it looks modern and well kept. You need to visit Solihull's House Of Fraser, it is massively dated and in disrepair. Great video 👍

[@DeadMallWalking]

Thank you! Nope, it wasn't bad at all. Whatever goes in there next, they might not need to do a ton of work to the place.

[@jaynestag95]

Cost more to stay open......They've had their day.

[@alexeaton4057]

I've started lovingly calling it House Of Sports Direct due to the increasing amount of sporting goods and attire in some of the stores

[@DeadMallWalking]

Makes sense given the mutual ownership I guess 🤷🏼‍♂️

[@oliverstemp9132]

I used to work there’s they literally filled the larger floor space of HoF stores will unwanted SD stock.

[@itsjustaname777]

no vat in the USA

[@drowningcows7631]

So sad to see.

[@JonnyRowntree]

I wonder if this will be taken either by H&M or the new H Beauty brand by Harrods, given that JD will take the old Flannels unit which used to be GAP.

[@DeadMallWalking]

Hard to say! Can’t imagine anyone champing at the bit to take on such a massive space in the current climate 😕

[@benrainey3561]

metro centre branch closed because of the landlord not the fact it was failing...

[@DeadMallWalking]

Maybe in this case, but HoF still seems to be struggling everywhere. I'm not sure how long I see them lasting :(

[@fyrsstatusrecords5754]

What are the other two shops you mentioned? Outlet, and?

[@zoeyelh]

i notice ashley is selling hof brands in sports direct for massively reduced prices. is he just stripping the stock?

[@DeadMallWalking]

Interesting! Maybe...I’ll try to check that out the next time I’m near a Sports Direct.

[@RAPIDNISMO]

You need to visit the somehow still structurally safe WASHINGTON GALLERIES... Full of declining shops, bad design, and lack of investment

[@DeadMallWalking]

I've actually been by there once before when I swung by one of the only Tim Horton's up here on a road trip! I'll try to revisit with a camera on hand.

[@RAPIDNISMO]

@@DeadMallWalking Tim Hortons are stealing scum bags! 🤣 we were going to kfc a few days after TH opened and well... the cheeky so and so's stood direction traffic 😅 But honestly, if you visit the galleries often, it's just a collapsing hell hole, would love to see a video made by you

[@DeadMallWalking]

Lol, they seem to get very busy with curious Brits when they first open! I was last there maybe 6 months ago and it didn’t look so bad, but it would be interested to document the decline for sure. Watch this space!

[@RAPIDNISMO]

@@DeadMallWalking right now, as I'm writing this, the whole complex is just crumbling, it's drill thriving but I really don't now how, the roads arroudn are pot holed to death, and the Concreye brags are crumbling leaving the sippkrts exposed etc

[@LiftEnthusiast2020OFFTOPIC]

Is that HOF Bham?

[@Splashysalt]

Don’t think so as I filmed there remember

[@Markknott29]

Anybody who has ever ordered a product from the Internet ‘Rainforest’ can say they had a part in the downfall of the high street.😢

[@DeadMallWalking]

A part, for sure! But it’s not the whole story - department stores have these big rents and are full of staff, which means they just can’t slash prices enough to make them competitive. The downstairs of this place is now Harrods Beauty, I believe, and it’ll be interesting to see how long that lasts.

[@EverydayEverything360]

It might re-open as a Frasers concept store, which is combined with House Of Fraser, Sports Direct, GAME, USC, Flannels and Evans Cycles.

[@EverydayEverything360]

Where is this?

[@Harr6068]

I think this is the MetroCentre In Gateshead.

[@Harr6068]

Also it reopened as a Harrods Beauty Store but it only takes up 1 floor.

[@EverydayEverything360]

@@Harr6068 No it became a Next Beauty & Home store which was only 1 level yes but now it's becoming a Sports Direct & Flannels store which will occupy the ground and first floors and a new beauty section has now opened in the main Next store making it a merged Next store like that Watford store which used to be another Beauty & Home store and before that a Debenhams.

[@EverydayEverything360]

@@Harr6068 Oh no I stand corrected I thought this was about Debenhams. I'm so stupid. XD

[@imogend]

only 20% off??

[@DeadMallWalking]

Think it was 40% in some parts of the store but, even then, “exclusions apply” 🙃

[@imogend]

@@DeadMallWalking haha of course lol. excellent video btw!

[@DeadMallWalking]

@@imogend Thank you, really appreciate that :)