In 2018, according to Retail Research, over 43,000 employees in the UK have been victims of falling companies.
House of Fraser was yet another company to have been forced into the closing down sales since Mike Ashley, Newcastle United football club owner, couldn’t come to an agreement with Intu shopping malls.
Photo credit: Beth Callaghan
The Metrocentre store will officially close on February 28, 2019, but will stop trading a few weeks before this date.
The closing of House of Fraser stores across the country has been the second largest loss of staff since the closing down of Woolworths in 2015.
Along with Toys R Us, Poundworld and Maplin, it seems that more and more, bigger name stores are shutting their doors.
Lucina Jacks who works in the furniture department of House of Fraser has spoken to Fashion North about the closing down of the Metro Centre store.
She said: “I just can’t believe it. I was shocked, but I wasn’t surprised. I only started working for House of Fraser this year and now I’m stuck looking for a job again. I used to work for Greenwoods but I got made redundant there too. It’s terrible timing just before Christmas and I have a mortgage to pay for too. I just hope I can find something before February.”
With big brands like Debenhams also rumoured to be at risk, Jessica Walker of the shoe department told us that she has hopes of Debenhams not going anywhere.
“I don’t think we’ll close down, no. But I suppose it’s hard to tell these days. Debenhams are now trying to up their market in the hopes that we’ll get House of Frasers’ old customers. We just have to try and do our best to keep retail alive.”
What brand do you think will be next to close at the Intu Metrocentre? Tweet us and let us know @Fashion_North
