Latest news with #HouseofFraser
Scottish Sun
23-05-2025
- Business
- Scottish Sun
Major department store with 26 shops UK-wide shuts TODAY after closing down sale
Around 17,350 retail sites are expected to shut down this year SHUTTERS DOWN Major department store with 26 shops UK-wide shuts TODAY after closing down sale Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) AN iconic department store has closed its doors for good today. The legendary retail giant has pulled the shutters down on the once-beloved high street staple. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 The once-popular retailer has closed multiple stores across the UK Credit: Getty The recent closing down sale has marked the end of the city's historic House of Fraser. The Lincoln High Street site has housed the department store for more than 100 years, while it was previously called Mawer and Collingham. In 1980, the company was bought by House of Fraser. Its closure highlights a "real problem" for the city centre losing a big "anchor tenant". The old building in the city centre is said to be 'difficult to redevelop' with it being right beside a road. The luxury Radisson Hotel chain had won planning permission in 2020 to demolish the building and replace it with a 150-bed 'lifestyle' hotel featuring shops, a restaurant, a gym, a bar, and a courtyard garden. The proposal was expected to create 190 jobs and boost Lincoln's economy. However, these plans never materialised, and the permission expired in May 2023. House of Fraser was saved from collapse by billionaire businessman Mike Ashley back in 2018. But while the deal saved the chain's 59 stores and 17,000 workers who were facing the axe many more stores have closed in recent years. Topshop teases high street return Other stores affected include Bristol, Bluewater, Birmingham, Cardiff and Guildford. Inflation and the cost-of-living crisis have made large-scale projects increasingly difficult to come to fruition. Decreasing store sales and rising staff costs have made it impossible for shops to stay open. The Centre for Retail Research (CRR) has warned that around 17,350 retail sites are expected to shut down this year. Why are retailers closing shops? EMPTY shops have become an eyesore on many British high streets and are often symbolic of a town centre's decline. The Sun's business editor Ashley Armstrong explains why so many retailers are shutting their doors. In many cases, retailers are shutting stores because they are no longer the money-makers they once were because of the rise of online shopping. Falling store sales and rising staff costs have made it even more expensive for shops to stay open. The British Retail Consortium has predicted that the Treasury's hike to employer NICs from April 2025, will cost the retail sector £2.3billion. At the same time, the minimum wage will rise to £12.21 an hour from April, and the minimum wage for people aged 18-20 will rise to £10 an hour, an increase of £1.40. In some cases, retailers are shutting a store and reopening a new shop at the other end of a high street to reflect how a town has changed. The problem is that when a big shop closes, footfall falls across the local high street, which puts more shops at risk of closing. Retail parks are increasingly popular with shoppers, who want to be able to get easy, free parking at a time when local councils have hiked parking charges in towns. Many retailers including Next and Marks & Spencer have been shutting stores on the high street and taking bigger stores in better-performing retail parks instead. In some cases, stores have been shut when a retailer goes bust, as in the case of Carpetright, Debenhams, Dorothy Perkins, Paperchase, Ted Baker, The Body Shop, Topshop and Wilko to name a few. What's increasingly common is when a chain goes bust a rival retailer or private equity firm snaps up the intellectual property rights so they can own the brand and sell it online. They may go on to open a handful of stores if there is customer demand, but there are rarely ever as many stores or in the same places. The Centre for Retail Research (CRR) has warned that around 17,350 retail sites are expected to shut down this year.
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Major retailer to triple store size at Bluewater shopping centre
A large retailer is set to triple its presence in a major shopping centre. Bluewater has announced that Next will expand its store size in the Kent-based shopping centre, making it one of the largest in the UK. The new store is set to open in 2026. The store will feature a range of new products, including men's, women's, and children's clothing, homeware, and a café. The American-based global beauty brand, Bath and Body Works, will also be relocated into a 2,000 sq ft neighbouring store. The current 44,600 sq ft NEXT store will be replaced by a 133,000 sq ft store, which was previously occupied by House of Fraser. The current NEXT and Bath and Body Works stores will continue to trade normally throughout 2025. James Waugh, centre director at Bluewater, said: "We're thrilled to see NEXT significantly expanding its presence here at Bluewater, following many successful years in its current space. "This move not only reinforces Bluewater's position as a leading retail destination but also highlights the continued confidence in bricks-and-mortar retail that we're seeing." For more information, visit the Bluewater website.
Daily Mail
01-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Hungry for meatballs! Shoppers queue to be first into IKEA's new £450million Oxford Street flagship as flatpack chain reveals which areas are next on list for a High Street store
Avid shoppers have already started queuing outside Ikea's new flagship shop on Oxford Street ahead of their grand opening today. The twice delayed £450 million shop is being seen by retail and council bosses as a crucial part of restoring Oxford Street to its former glory as one of the world's premier shopping destinations. It has taken over the former Topshop base in the capital to open a three-floor outlet selling around 6,000 products, of which 3,500 can be carried away by customers immediately, and the rest ordered for home delivery, click and collect or collection off site from lockers and other pick-up points. Pictures from earlier this morning show lovers of the Swedish brand sat on the floor ahead of the grand opening. In a global first for the firm, the store will feature a live studio with broadcasting capabilities enabling it to host events such as cooking demonstrations. It will also have a Re-Shop and Re-Use section where customers can buy second-hand and discontinued Ikea products. A 130-seat Swedish deli will allow visitors to dine 'affordably' in the city centre on dishes including hot dogs from 85p and meatballs or plantballs starting at £4.95, with takeaway options also available. It is the second UK high street store for the company - the first opened in Hammersmith in 2022 - which it described as a 'milestone' in a strategy to expand its presence in city centres with smaller formats, increasing accessibility for customers. Another city centre store, in central Brighton, is set to open this summer, followed by three smaller stores in Chester, Harlow and Norwich this year. The company said it had further specific areas of interest including in London, the Midlands and the North West, but no new locations to confirm yet. In a global first for the firm, the store will feature a live studio with broadcasting capabilities enabling it to host events such as cooking demonstrations A 130-seat Swedish deli will allow visitors to dine 'affordably' in the city centre on dishes including hot dogs from 85p and meatballs or plantballs starting at £4.95, with takeaway options also available The area has become blighted by crime and homelessness in recent years having fallen into disrepair with empty shops, littered streets and falling visitor numbers - with poor quality US 'candy stores' and souvenir shops at the centre of concerns. Major retailers to have closed in recent years in addition to Topshop have included House of Fraser, Miss Selfridge, Dorothy Perkins and Debenhams. Problems reached a peak in August 2023 when West End stores were forced to lower their shutters and lock customers inside after large groups of mainly young men responded to a call on TikTok to join a 'Oxford Circus JD robbery'. But the area was boosted when HMV reopened its old flagship store in November 2023, and Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan now wants to pedestrianise 0.7 miles of the street as part of the regeneration despite warnings this could make it a crime-ridden 'no-go area'. Ikea said its 'roomsets' - the spaces in all of its stores that show complete rooms put together - have been created with 'real people' who live in London. They include set-ups for working from home and running a small business, inspiration for properties with period features, ideas for basement rooms with little natural light, and designs for balconies. They include set-ups for working from home and running a small business, inspiration for properties with period features, ideas for basement rooms with little natural light, and designs for balconies Inside London's newest Ikea store which is set to open in Oxford Street on Thursday at the former Topshop store - three years after the company bought the site A 130-seat Swedish deli will allow visitors to dine 'affordably' in the city centre on dishes including hot dogs from 85p and meatballs or plantballs starting at £4.95, with takeaway options also available Peter Jelkeby, chief executive and chief sustainability officer of Ikea UK, said: 'We continue to dedicate our energy to our UK expansion plans and investing heavily to become more accessible. 'To complement our existing stores, we are laser-focused on continuing to innovate to reach more customers, with a network of new, smaller stores that offer different experiences, as well as new services that meet all of our customers' needs - no matter where they live.' The firm described its new location as at the 'heart of one of the world's most dynamic shopping streets'. Ingka Investment, the investment arm of the retail group, bought the Grade II listed building at 214 Oxford Street after Topshop owner Arcadia fell into administration. Tolga Oncu, Ingka retail manager, said: 'Adding Oxford Street to the Ikea map is a special moment for us. It will also have a Re-Shop and Re-Use section (not pictured here) where customers can buy second-hand and discontinued Ikea products In a global first for the firm, the store will feature a live studio with broadcasting capabilities enabling it to host events such as cooking demonstrations kea said it received 3,730 applications in just five days for the 150 jobs at the store when it began recruiting earlier this year London Mayor Sadiq Khan said: 'It's fantastic news that Ikea is opening a new flagship store on Oxford Street. It's a huge vote of confidence in London, in our economy and in our plans to rejuvenate Oxford Street and unlock its true potential' Tolga Oncu, Ingka retail manager, said: 'Adding Oxford Street to the Ikea map is a special moment for us. 'This store, on one of the busiest and most well-known streets in the world, exemplifies our ambition to innovate our retail presence and bring Ikea to where our customers live, work, and socialise. 'Offering our well-designed and affordable products to more people in city centres across the globe remains our way forward.' The store's opening is seen as a crucial part of the revival of Oxford Street, which suffered a slump in visitor numbers during the Covid pandemic, leading to sites sitting vacant and the opening of a string of American sweet shops. London Mayor Sadiq Khan said: 'It's fantastic news that Ikea is opening a new flagship store on Oxford Street. 'It's a huge vote of confidence in London, in our economy and in our plans to rejuvenate Oxford Street and unlock its true potential. 'Oxford Street is one of the most famous shopping destinations in the world and we want to give it a new lease of life. NOVEMBER 2020: People walk past the closed Topshop on Oxford Street during the pandemic FEBRUARY 2021: A woman wearing a face mask walks past the closed Topshop store in Oxford Street during England's third national lockdown of the Covid pandemic 'This involves attracting brilliant companies like Ikea, which will help to create new jobs and increase footfall. 'We have developed bold proposals to pedestrianise Oxford Street and to establish it as a global leader for shopping, leisure and outdoor events. Ikea was
Daily Mail
30-04-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Take a look inside IKEA's £450million flagship store on Oxford Street: Swedish flatpack firm unveils huge showroom, Swedish deli and curated shops in move that will revitalise London's busiest shopping street
Ikea is to finally open its twice delayed £450 million flagship store in Oxford Street in a move that is hoped will revitalise London 's busiest shopping street. The Swedish flatpack firm's long-awaited outlet will open on Thursday at the former Topshop store - three years after the company bought the site. An original opening date had been mooted for autumn 2023 but renovations and work to fix a leaky basement caused an 18-month delay. The furniture retailer previously revealed it was taking longer than expected to renovate the more than 100-year-old Grade II-listed building, and the planned opening was pushed back twice. The three-floor 62,400 sq ft (5,800 sq m) outlet will sell around 6,000 products, of which 3,500 can be carried away by customers immediately, and will be open daily from 10am until 8pm. The rest can be ordered for home delivery, click and collect or collection off site from lockers and other pick-up points. It includes three 'curated shops' created by Londoners to 'reflect and celebrate the character and diversity of the city's residents'. The store is seen by retail and council bosses as a crucial part of restoring Oxford Street to its former glory as one of the world's premier shopping destinations. Ikea is to finally open its twice delayed £450 million flagship store in Oxford Street in a move that is hoped will revitalise London's busiest shopping street The three-floor 62,400 sq ft (5,800 sq m) outlet will sell around 6,000 products, of which 3,500 can be carried away by customers immediately, and will be open daily from 10am until 8pm The store is seen by retail and council bosses as a crucial part of restoring Oxford Street to its former glory as one of the world's premier shopping destinations The area has become blighted by crime and homelessness in recent years having fallen into disrepair with empty shops, littered streets and falling visitor numbers - with poor quality US 'candy stores' and souvenir shops at the centre of concerns. Major retailers to have closed in recent years in addition to Topshop have included House of Fraser, Miss Selfridge, Dorothy Perkins and Debenhams. Problems reached a peak in August 2023 when West End stores were forced to lower their shutters and lock customers inside after large groups of mainly young men responded to a call on TikTok to join a 'Oxford Circus JD robbery'. But the area was boosted when HMV reopened its old flagship store in November 2023, and Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan now wants to pedestrianise 0.7 miles of the street as part of the regeneration despite warnings this could make it a crime-ridden 'no-go area'. Ikea said its 'roomsets' - the spaces in all of its stores that show complete rooms put together - have been created with 'real people' who live in London. They include set-ups for working from home and running a small business, inspiration for properties with period features, ideas for basement rooms with little natural light, and designs for balconies. In a global first for the firm, the store will feature a live studio with broadcasting capabilities enabling it to host events such as cooking demonstrations. It will also have a Re-Shop and Re-Use section where customers can buy second-hand and discontinued Ikea products. Ikea said its 'roomsets' - the spaces in all of its stores that show complete rooms put together - have been created with 'real people' who live in London They include set-ups for working from home and running a small business, inspiration for properties with period features, ideas for basement rooms with little natural light, and designs for balconies An original opening date had been mooted for autumn 2023 but renovations and work to fix a leaky basement caused an 18-month delay It is the second UK high street store for the company - the first opened in Hammersmith in 2022 - which it described as a 'milestone' in a strategy to expand its presence in city centres Inside London's newest Ikea store which is set to open in Oxford Street on Thursday at the former Topshop store - three years after the company bought the site A 130-seat Swedish deli will allow visitors to dine 'affordably' in the city centre on dishes including hot dogs from 85p and meatballs or plantballs starting at £4.95, with takeaway options also available A 130-seat Swedish deli will allow visitors to dine 'affordably' in the city centre on dishes including hot dogs from 85p and meatballs or plantballs starting at £4.95, with takeaway options also available. It is the second UK high street store for the company - the first opened in Hammersmith in 2022 - which it described as a 'milestone' in a strategy to expand its presence in city centres with smaller formats, increasing accessibility for customers. Another city centre store, in central Brighton, is set to open this year. Peter Jelkeby, chief executive and chief sustainability officer of Ikea UK, said: 'We continue to dedicate our energy to our UK expansion plans and investing heavily to become more accessible. 'To complement our existing stores, we are laser-focused on continuing to innovate to reach more customers, with a network of new, smaller stores that offer different experiences, as well as new services that meet all of our customers' needs - no matter where they live.' The firm described its new location as at the 'heart of one of the world's most dynamic shopping streets'. Ingka Investment, the investment arm of the retail group, bought the Grade II listed building at 214 Oxford Street after Topshop owner Arcadia fell into administration. Tolga Oncu, Ingka retail manager, said: 'Adding Oxford Street to the Ikea map is a special moment for us. Ingka Investment, the investment arm of the retail group, bought the Grade II listed building at 214 Oxford Street after Topshop owner Arcadia fell into administration The furniture retailer previously revealed it was taking longer than expected to renovate the more than 100-year-old Grade II-listed building, and the planned opening was pushed back twice The firm described its new location as at the 'heart of one of the world's most dynamic shopping streets' Products that aren't available to take away on the day can be ordered for home delivery, click and collect or collection off site from lockers and other pick-up points It will also have a Re-Shop and Re-Use section (not pictured here) where customers can buy second-hand and discontinued Ikea products In a global first for the firm, the store will feature a live studio with broadcasting capabilities enabling it to host events such as cooking demonstrations kea said it received 3,730 applications in just five days for the 150 jobs at the store when it began recruiting earlier this year The store's opening is seen as a crucial part of the revival of Oxford Street, which suffered a slump in visitor numbers during the Covid pandemic Ikea was founded in Sweden in 1943, and opened its first UK store in Warrington, Cheshire, in 1987 – before its first London store in Wembley one year later London Mayor Sadiq Khan said: 'It's fantastic news that Ikea is opening a new flagship store on Oxford Street. It's a huge vote of confidence in London, in our economy and in our plans to rejuvenate Oxford Street and unlock its true potential' Tolga Oncu, Ingka retail manager, said: 'Adding Oxford Street to the Ikea map is a special moment for us. 'This store, on one of the busiest and most well-known streets in the world, exemplifies our ambition to innovate our retail presence and bring Ikea to where our customers live, work, and socialise. 'Offering our well-designed and affordable products to more people in city centres across the globe remains our way forward.' The store's opening is seen as a crucial part of the revival of Oxford Street, which suffered a slump in visitor numbers during the Covid pandemic, leading to sites sitting vacant and the opening of a string of American sweet shops. London Mayor Sadiq Khan said: 'It's fantastic news that Ikea is opening a new flagship store on Oxford Street. 'It's a huge vote of confidence in London, in our economy and in our plans to rejuvenate Oxford Street and unlock its true potential. 'Oxford Street is one of the most famous shopping destinations in the world and we want to give it a new lease of life. DECEMBER 2009: The flagship Topshop store opened in 1994 to much fanfare. It closed its doors for good in 2021 APRIL 2014: Crowds outside Topshop on Oxford Street waiting for model Kate Moss to arrive NOVEMBER 2020: People walk past the closed Topshop on Oxford Street during the pandemic OCTOBER 2021: People walk past 214 Oxford Street after Topshop's flagship store was closed FEBRUARY 2021: A woman wearing a face mask walks past the closed Topshop store in Oxford Street during England's third national lockdown of the Covid pandemic 'This involves attracting brilliant companies like Ikea, which will help to create new jobs and increase footfall. 'We have developed bold proposals to .
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
New city centre store has 'great first day' according to manager
The new Tesco Express store in Carlisle had a 'great' first day according to the new store manager. The new store has opened in part of the old House of Fraser unit which was recently sold for £750,000. Fears had been raised throughout the community that the site may have fallen into a similar situation to the city's vacant Debenhams store which closed back in 2021. The opening of a new Tesco store in the city centre has been widely welcomed by local shoppers who have said that the city centre needs a wider variety of shops. The first customer to the new Tesco Express was waiting for the store to open on Wednesday, April 23 and received a bottle of prosecco and some flowers. READ MORE: Cumbrian man wins £96,000 on hit ITV gameshow 'The 1% Club' | News and Star Matthew Bell, store manager at the new Tesco Express in Carlisle said: 'The store opening of our new Express store in Carlisle town centre was brilliant and we had a great first day serving our local community, and our first customer who was waiting for the store to open was presented with a bottle of prosecco and flowers'. Tesco previously had a store on Victoria Viaduct, but the company decided to close the shop in October 2023.
