House of Fraser (also operating as Frasers) is a British

department store A department store is a retail establishment offering a wide range of consumer goods in different areas of the store, each area ("department") specializing in a product category. In modern major cities, the department store made a dramatic app ...

group with 44 locations across the United Kingdom, which is now part of

Frasers Group Frasers Group plc (formerly known as Sports Direct International plc) is a British retail, sport and intellectual property group, named after its ownership of the department store chain House of Fraser. The company is best known for trading pr ...

. It was established in

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

, Scotland in 1849 as Arthur and Fraser. By 1891, it was known as Fraser & Sons. The company grew steadily during the early 20th century, and after the Second World War a large number of acquisitions transformed the company into a national chain. From 1936, the company expanded substantially through acquisitions, including

Scottish Drapery Corporation Scottish Drapery Corporation was a holding company for a group of Scottish department stores and drapers. History In 1926 the Scottish Drapery Corporartion was created to take over the share capital of several Scottish businesses. They were Pett ...

(1952), Binns (1953),

Barkers of Kensington Barkers of Kensington was a department store in Kensington High Street, Kensington, London. It began as a small drapery business, John Barker & Company, founded by Sir John Barker, 1st Baronet, John Barker and Sir James Whitehead, 1st Baronet ...

(1957),

Dickins & Jones Dickins & Jones was a high-quality department store in London, England, which traded between 1835 and 2007, although tracing its origins to 1790. From 1835, the main store was in London's Regent Street. In its final years the store had branches a ...

and the

Harrods Harrods Limited is a department store located on Brompton Road in Knightsbridge, London, England. It is currently owned by the state of Qatar via its sovereign wealth fund, the Qatar Investment Authority. The Harrods brand also applies to other ...

group (1959), and

J J Allen J J Allen was a small retail group that formed in 1860 in Bournemouth, Dorset, England. The business was incorporated in 1899 by Mr J J Allen as a furniture shop, removal company and funeral directors (which still exist as an independent compan ...

and

Colson's Colson's, later Dingle's and House of Fraser, was a department store located in Exeter, Devon, England. Located on the High Street, the store was founded in 1792, expanded after damage in the Second World War. It was later purchased and groupe ...

(1969). In 1948, the company was first listed on the

London Stock Exchange London Stock Exchange (LSE) is a stock exchange in the City of London, England, United Kingdom. , the total market value of all companies trading on LSE was £3.9 trillion. Its current premises are situated in Paternoster Square close to St Pau ...

. Later acquisitions included

Howells Howells may refer to: People *Howells (surname) Places in the United States * Howells, Colorado, a place in Colorado *Howells, Nebraska *Howells, New York *Howells Junction, New York, a place in New York Business establishments * Howells (depa ...

(1972) and Army & Navy Stores (1973). The group was purchased by the

Al Fayed Mohamed Al-Fayed (; arz, محمد الفايد ; born 27 January 1929) is an Egyptian-born businessman whose residence and chief business interests have been in the United Kingdom since the late 1960s. His business interests include ownership of ...

family in 1985 for £615million, beating out

Tiny Rowland Roland Walter "Tiny" Rowland (; 27 November 1917 – 25 July 1998) was a British businessman, corporate raider and the chief executive of the Lonrho conglomerate from 1962 to 1993. He gained fame from a number of high-profile takeover bids, in p ...

for control. By 1993, the management of the group were making attempts to purchase the group from the Al Fayeds, and a floatation was agreed, with the group initially trading separately as House of Fraser Holdings with the Fayed group. The public float happened in 1995, when it was listed in the FTSE Index as House of Fraser plc, with Harrods moved into the private ownership of the Al Fayeds. In the 1990s, several stores were closed and fifteen stores transferred to a joint venture with

British Land Company The British Land Company plc is one of the largest property development and investment companies in the United Kingdom. The firm became a real estate investment trust when REITs were introduced in the UK in January 2007. It is headquartered in ...

, which then continued operating under their old name. The former Harrods group store

D H Evans D H Evans was a department store located in Oxford Street, London, which later became part of House of Fraser. The store was rebranded as House of Fraser in 2001. History D H Evans was opened in 1879 by Dan Harries Evans at 320 Oxford Street. E ...

on Oxford Street, London was re-branded as House of Fraser in 2001 and became the chain's flagship store. In 2005, the group acquired

Jenners Jenners is a former well-established department store in Edinburgh, Scotland, situated on Princes Street. It was Scotland's oldest independent department store until the retail business was acquired by House of Fraser in 2005. It closed in Dec ...

(£46m), and

Beatties Beatties was a small British department store group located primarily in the Midlands of England. In 2005, when it had 12 stores, the group was acquired by House of Fraser. On 14 January 2006, the Birmingham store closed, because a similar Ho ...

(£69m). In 2006, the firm was acquired by a consortium of investors (Highland Group Holdings) including Icelandic based

Landsbanki Landsbanki (literally "national bank"), also commonly known as Landsbankinn (literally "the national bank") which is now the name of the current rebuilt bank (here called "New Landsbanki"), was one of the largest Icelandic commercial banks that f ...

(35%). An online store was launched in 2007. In 2014, the group (as Highland Group Holdings Ltd) was sold to Nanjing Xinjiekou Department Store Co. (Sanpower Group), a leading chain of Chinese department stores for approximately £450 million. In May 2018, the group entered a

company voluntary arrangement Under UK insolvency law an insolvent company can enter into a company voluntary arrangement (CVA). The CVA is a form of composition, similar to the personal IVA ( individual voluntary arrangement), where an insolvency procedure allows a company ...

, and in June the closure of 31 stores was announced. On 10 August 2018, Mike Ashley's

Sports Direct Frasers Group plc (formerly known as Sports Direct International plc) is a British retail, sport and intellectual property group, named after its ownership of the department store chain House of Fraser. The company is best known for trading pre ...

chain agreed to buy the business (stores, stock, brand) for £90 million after the chain went into administration earlier that day. In 2021, a new spin-off of the House of Fraser brand opened in Wolverhampton's Mander Centre named Frasers. It was a first of its kind in the country, and its products are mostly high-end designer brands. The store features other Frasers Group brands Sports Direct,

Evans Cycles Evans Cycles is a British cycle retailer. It was opened in central London by a London cyclist, Frederick Evans, who won an award from Britain's largest cycling club for the best cycling invention of 1925. He left his shop to be run by his manager ...

, GAME and

Flannels Cricket whites, also known as flannels, the kit, costume or uniform worn by most cricketers, and usually consists of trousers, shirt and a jumper. Originally, as indicated by the name whites, flannels were exclusively white or cream. Today, man ...

. Several other House of Fraser stores have been converted to the Frasers format since the opening of its Wolverhampton flagship.

History

House of Fraser, Briggate, Leeds (27th May 2010)

The early years

The company was founded by Hugh Fraser and James Arthur in 1849 as a small drapery shop on the corner of Argyle Street and

Buchanan Street Buchanan Street is one of the main shopping thoroughfares in Glasgow, the largest city in Scotland. It forms the central stretch of Glasgow's famous shopping district with a generally more upmarket range of shops than the neighbouring streets: ...

in Glasgow, Scotland trading as Arthur and Fraser. Hugh Fraser had been apprenticed to Stewart & McDonald Ltd, a

draper Draper was originally a term for a retailer or wholesaler of cloth that was mainly for clothing. A draper may additionally operate as a cloth merchant or a haberdasher. History Drapers were an important trade guild during the medieval period ...

y warehouse where he eventually rose to the position of warehouse manager. It was from here that he brought many of his new company's initial customers. James Arthur also owned a retail drapery business in Paisley, near Glasgow: he appointed a manager to oversee the Paisley business while he focused on his new business. The company established a

wholesale Wholesaling or distributing is the sale of goods or merchandise to retailers; to industrial, commercial, institutional or other professional business users; or to other wholesalers (wholesale businesses) and related subordinated services. In ...

trade in adjoining premises in Argyle Street. In 1856 the wholesale business moved to a larger site in Miller Street,

, and started to trade under the name Arthur & Co. The retail side of the business expanded into the vacant buildings left by the wholesale side. During the late 1850s and early 1860s, the retail business was run by a professional manager – first Thomas Kirkpatrick and then Alexander McLaren. In 1865 the partnership between the partners was dissolved and Fraser assumed control of the retail business leaving Arthur with the wholesale business. In 1865 McLaren joined the retail business and the name was changed to Fraser & McLaren.

Fraser & Sons

When the first Hugh Fraser died in 1873, his three eldest sons, James, John and Hugh, acquired stakes in the business. James and John Fraser were initially directors in the business and employed Alexander McLaren and later John Towers to manage it for them. In 1891 Hugh also joined the partnership which by then was called Fraser & Sons. In 1879, the current flagship store on Oxford Street in London was opened by Dan Harries Evans, a 23-year-old from Whitemill in Carmarthenshire, Wales who had previously been apprenticed to a

in Forest Hamlet near

Merthyr Tydfil Merthyr Tydfil (; cy, Merthyr Tudful ) is the main town in Merthyr Tydfil County Borough, Wales, administered by Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council. It is about north of Cardiff. Often called just Merthyr, it is said to be named after Tydf ...

, Wales. He moved to London in 1878 to set up his own business in

Westminster Bridge Road Westminster Bridge Road is a road in London, England. It runs on an east–west axis and passes through the boroughs of Lambeth and Southwark. Between 1740 and 1746, the Commissioners of Westminster Bridge bought land from the Archbishop of ...

. The store traded under the

name until 2001. By 1900, Hugh Fraser II was in charge: he incorporated the business as Fraser & Sons Ltd in 1909 and introduced the famous stag's head motif. After Hugh Fraser II died in 1927, his son Hugh Fraser III, an accountant, became Chairman of the business. He opened new departments, enlarged the tearoom, opened a restaurant and also began to look at possible acquisitions. In 1936 he purchased Arnott & Co Ltd and its neighbour Robert Simpson & Sons Ltd in nearby Argyle Street, merging the companies to help improve trade. In 1948 the company, now named House of Fraser, was first listed on the

1950s to 1970s

In 1951, the Company purchased McDonald's Ltd, and with it a branch in

Harrogate Harrogate ( ) is a spa town and the administrative centre of the Borough of Harrogate in North Yorkshire, England. Historic counties of England, Historically in the West Riding of Yorkshire, the town is a tourist destination and its visitor at ...

. Fraser then purchased the

in 1952, followed by the

Sunderland Sunderland () is a port city in Tyne and Wear, England. It is the City of Sunderland's administrative centre and in the Historic counties of England, historic county of County of Durham, Durham. The city is from Newcastle-upon-Tyne and is on t ...

based Binns group of stores in 1953. Fraser sold the property sites to insurance companies, leasing them back for long terms at advantageous rates. This enabled the release of capital for the purchase of new premises and the modernisation of existing stores. In 1957, the

Kensington Kensington is a district in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in the West End of London, West of Central London. The district's commercial heart is Kensington High Street, running on an east–west axis. The north-east is taken up b ...

store group of John Barker & Co Ltd was acquired and in 1959

and

also joined the Group. Sir Hugh Fraser succeeded his father as Chairman of the company when his father died in 1966. Sir Hugh resumed the expansion of the company in 1969 with the takeover of J. J. Allen Ltd, a

Bournemouth Bournemouth () is a coastal resort town in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole council area of Dorset, England. At the 2011 census, the town had a population of 183,491, making it the largest town in Dorset. It is situated on the Southern ...

based group, also including

of Exeter and Brights of Bristol and Bournemouth. During the 1970s, the House of Fraser Group acquired more companies including T. Baird & Sons Ltd of Scotland, Switzer & Co. Ltd of Dublin, Ireland, and E. Dingle & Co. Ltd, Chiesmans Ltd, Hide & Co and the Army & Navy Stores in southern England, as well as a number of independent stores, totaling over fifty stores during the decade. In 1973, the House of Fraser Group was considering merging with the British pharmacy company

Boots A boot is a type of footwear. Boot or Boots may also refer to: Businesses * Boot Inn, Chester, Cheshire, England * Boots (company), a high-street pharmacy chain and manufacturer of pharmaceuticals in the United Kingdom * The Boot, Cromer Stre ...

, and was even subject to a written answer in the House of Commons. The government decided to block the proposed merger in 1974.

1980–1985

In 1981, Prof. Roland Smith succeeded Sir Hugh Fraser as chairman. A takeover bid by

Lonrho Lonrho is a London-based conglomerate that was established in 1998 as Lonrho Africa plc. It is engaged in multiple business sectors in Africa, mainly agribusiness, infrastructure, transport, hospitality and support services. History Lonrho ...

was referred to the

Monopolies and Mergers Commission The Competition Commission was a non-departmental public body responsible for investigating mergers, markets and other enquiries related to regulated industries under UK competition law, competition law in the United Kingdom. It was a competiti ...

and declared to be contrary to the public interest. Four new stores opened between 1980 and 1984, including D H Evans in Wood Green, North London in 1980, Dickins & Jones in Milton Keynes in 1981, Frasers in Perth in April 1984, and Army & Navy in Epsom, Surrey in May 1984. The company, by then House of Fraser PLC, diversified into sports goods under the name of Astral Sports and Leisure (subsequently sold to

Sears plc Sears plc was a large British-based conglomerate. The company was listed on the London Stock Exchange and was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index. It was acquired by Philip Green in 1999. History The business was founded by John and Willi ...

, owned Olympus Sport division) and into funerals with Wylie & Lochhead. It also launched the 'You' range of cosmetics and jewellery shops, and in 1985 acquired Turnbull & Asser Holdings Ltd, shirt makers of

Jermyn Street Jermyn Street is a one-way street in the St James's area of the City of Westminster in London, England. It is to the south of, parallel, and adjacent to Piccadilly. Jermyn Street is known as a street for gentlemen's-clothing retailers. Hist ...

, London and Kurt Geiger Holdings Ltd, shoe retailers. Other developments during the 1980s included the introduction of "Lifestyle" merchandise ranges and a huge investment in store refurbishment nationwide. In 1983 the Company introduced the Frasercard (later renamed Recognition), valid at all stores, and administered from a central facility based in

Swindon Swindon () is a town and unitary authority with Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in Wiltshire, England. As of the 2021 Census, the population of Swindon was 201,669, making it the largest town in the county. The Swindon un ...

1985–2006: Al Fayed ownership

In 1985, the

family bought the business for £615 million. The Al Fayeds supported the continuing expansion of the company and replaced the stag's head logo with a stag leaping from a green triangle with shop signs of this period using a double-layered sans-serif typeface. In 1988, a five-year strategic business plan was announced which saw a rationalisation of stores. Small branches were to be relinquished and replaced with larger units. In September 1990, two new department stores were opened, a House of Fraser in the

Meadowhall Shopping Centre Meadowhall is an indoor shopping centre in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. It lies north-east of Sheffield city centre, and from Rotherham town centre. It is the largest shopping centre in Yorkshire, and currently the eleventh-largest i ...

Sheffield Sheffield is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in South Yorkshire, England, whose name derives from the River Sheaf which runs through it. The city serves as the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is Historic counties o ...

, and Schofields in Leeds. In 1991, a new House of Fraser store was opened at the Lakeside Shopping Centre in West Thurrock, Essex. In 1994, before House of Fraser PLC was relisted on the

, Harrods was moved out of the Group so that it could remain under the private ownership of the Al Fayed family. John Coleman, who was appointed chief executive of the House of Fraser Group in 1996, launched the Linea brand in 1997, along with Platinum and Fraser the following year. The House of Fraser logo was revised in 1996 with the leaping stag now going over an "F" shadow and shop signs using a serif typeface. There were many store closures in this period which included the closure or selling off of branches in locations including

(House of Fraser), Newcastle (Binns),

(Binns),

Bradford Bradford is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Bradford district in West Yorkshire, England. The city is in the Pennines' eastern foothills on the banks of the Bradford Beck. Bradford had a population of 349,561 at the 2011 ...

(Rackhams) and

Leeds Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by populati ...

(Schofields which had closed only six years after opening although House of Fraser continued to have a presence with their Rackhams (now House of Fraser store) in the city) with the loss of around 1,000 jobs. House of Fraser set up BL Fraser, a 50–50 joint venture with the

, in 1999 to buy 15 House of Fraser stores that would continue to be operated by House of Fraser. The Company added to its private-label brands in 2000 with House of Fraser womenswear, The Collection menswear, and a Linea Home. In 2003,

Tom Hunter Sir Thomas Blane Hunter (born 6 May 1961) is a Scottish businessman, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. Sports Division Tom set up his first business after graduating from the University of Strathclyde as he was, in his own words, "unemployab ...

put forward a hostile bid for the Group, with the possible intention to merge with

Allders Allders was an independent department store operating in the United Kingdom. The original store was established in 1862 in Croydon by Joshua Allder. In the second half of the 20th century, this parent store was developed into a chain of depart ...

, another department store in which he had shareholdings. In addition, there was a large reduction in the number of House of Fraser stores in Scotland which included the sell off or closure of branches in Aberdeen (Frasers), Dundee (Arnotts), Inverness (Frasers), Paisley (Arnotts) and Perth (Frasers). In 2005, the House of Fraser acquired the four

department stores in April for £46m, and

, a mainly

Midlands The Midlands (also referred to as Central England) are a part of England that broadly correspond to the Kingdom of Mercia of the Early Middle Ages, bordered by Wales, Northern England and Southern England. The Midlands were important in the Ind ...

based department store chain of 12 sites, for £69.3m in the summer of 2005. In addition to buying companies, House of Fraser continued its own development programme and opened several more stores including its first store outside the UK (since the disposal of the Switzer business in Ireland in 1991) in

Dundrum Town Centre Dundrum Town Centre is a shopping centre located in Dundrum, Dublin, Ireland. It is Ireland's largest shopping centre with over 169 tenants, almost of floor space, and over 3,400 car parking spaces. It is located just south of the village ce ...

, Dublin, Ireland. as well as stores in

Maidstone Maidstone is the largest Town status in the United Kingdom, town in Kent, England, of which it is the county town. Maidstone is historically important and lies 32 miles (51 km) east-south-east of London. The River Medway runs through the c ...

and

Norwich Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. Norwich is by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. As the seat of the See of Norwich, with ...

. In 2006, the Company consolidated its portfolio by closing the 135-year-old Barkers business in

Kensington High Street Kensington High Street is the main shopping street in Kensington, London, England. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. Kensington High Street is the continuation of Kensington Road and part ...

on 2 January 2006. and on 14 January 2006, closed its

store in London's Regent Street following a substantial rent increase. In addition, the Company closed its

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...

Beatties store in January 2006 (although retained the House of Fraser store in Birmingham).

2006–2014: Highland Group Holdings

In February 2006, the Group announced that it had received a preliminary bid approach valuing it at £300 million and, in August 2006, the House of Fraser confirmed a takeover approach from the Highland consortium who acquired the company for £351.4 million in November 2006. Highland Group Holdings Limited was 35% owned by

. As part of the Highland takeover all brand names for their stores, including most of the Beatties branches, will be replaced with the House of Fraser name (with the exception of

) with the stag logo axed and a new sans-serif typeface used on shop signs. In September 2007, House of Fraser launched its online store. The company had four major openings in 2008, including its first store in

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...

in the newly built

Victoria Square Shopping Centre Victoria Square is a shopping and leisure complex located in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The area includes over 70 shops, several restaurants and the Odeon cinema. Opened on 6 March 2008, Victoria Square is a commercial, residential and leisure d ...

Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdo ...

in March. At it was the largest store that House of Fraser had opened (as opposed to taken over) in the UK. Also in March 2008, the Company opened a store in High Wycombe. On 25 September 2008 the Company opened a store in the

Cabot Circus Cabot Circus is a covered shopping centre in Bristol, England. It is adjacent to Broadmead, a shopping district in Bristol city centre. The Cabot Circus development area contains shops, offices, a cinema, hotel and 250 apartments. It covers a to ...

development in

Bristol Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...

, and a branch in

Westfield London Westfield London is a large shopping centre in White City, west London, England, developed by the Westfield Group at a cost of £1.6bn, on a brownfield site formerly the home of the 1908 Franco-British Exhibition. The site is bounded by the We ...

, a new store, on 30 October 2008. House of Fraser launched the HouseofFraser.com "Buy & Collect" concept shop in October 2011 with its first location in Aberdeen. A further site, in Liverpool, opened in 2012. These small shops were equipped with computer terminals to allow customers to order from the House of Fraser website. Both shops had closed by the summer of 2016. In December 2013, talks to takeover House of Fraser were held by French department store

Galeries Lafayette The Galeries Lafayette () is an upmarket French department store chain, the biggest in Europe. Its flagship store is on Boulevard Haussmann in the 9th arrondissement of Paris but it now operates in a number of other locations in France and othe ...

with House of Fraser also exploring a floating on the

once more in the summer of 2014 if the takeover was to be abandoned.

2014–2018: Sanpower Group ownership

In April 2014, it was reported by

BBC News BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broadca ...

that House of Fraser would be sold to Chinese conglomerate Sanpower Group, who would obtain 89% share in the company which would value the business at about £450 million. Nanjing Xinjiekou Department Store Co will buy an 89% stake in Highland Group Holdings Ltd, which owns House of Fraser. The purchase was worth £450 million. Sanpower Group is a 22 percent shareholder of the Nanjing Xinjiekou Department Store Co. On 2 September 2014. Don McCarthy, retiring Executive Chairman of House of Fraser, announced the completion of the sale of 100% of the preferred ordinary shares and B ordinary shares, and approximately 89% of the A ordinary shares and preference shares of Highland Group Holdings Ltd, to Nanjing Xinjiekou Department Store Co, a leading chain of Chinese department stores and part of the Sanpower Group, for an enterprise value of approximately £480 million. In 2017, a new department store opened at the Rushden Lakes development in Rushden, Northamptonshire. The closure of House of Fraser Outlet in Leicester also took place during the year and a further closure, in Aylesbury, was announced for 2018, however, this never materialised following the acquisition by

Sports Direct International Frasers Group plc (formerly known as Sports Direct International plc) is a British retail, sport and intellectual property group, named after its ownership of the department store chain House of Fraser. The company is best known for trading pr ...

. A new store in Chester was announced in February 2017 with construction due to start in mid-2018. It was announced later in 2018 that House of Fraser had pulled out of these plans due to their financial issues.

2018: Administration

On 2 May 2018, the company announced that it was to be entering into a conditional sale of a controlling stake in the firm to Nanjing Cenbest (another Sanpower Group subsidiary) to

Hamleys Hamleys is a British multinational toy retailer, owned by Reliance Retail. The world's oldest toy store, it was founded by William Hamley as "Noah's Ark" in High Holborn, London, in 1760. It moved to its current site on Regent Street in London's ...

owner C.banner, another Chinese firm. A condition of the sale that the company streamline its existing store portfolio and cost base was set out. The intention to launch a

(CVA) was announced on the same day. However, C.banner later pulled out. Datitude_080618_Location_of_House_of_Fraser_UK_Store_Closures

On 7 June 2018, the company announced that it would close 31 of its 58 UK stores: Altrincham • Aylesbury • Birkenhead • Birmingham • Bournemouth • Camberley • Cardiff • Carlisle • Chichester • Cirencester • Cwmbran • Darlington • Doncaster • Edinburgh Frasers • Epsom • Grimsby • High Wycombe • Hull • Leamington Spa • Lincoln • London Oxford Street • London King William Street • Middlesbrough • Milton Keynes • Plymouth • Shrewsbury • Skipton • Swindon • Telford • Wolverhampton • Worcester This included the flagship

Oxford Street Oxford Street is a major road in the City of Westminster in the West End of London, running from Tottenham Court Road to Marble Arch via Oxford Circus. It is Europe's busiest shopping street, with around half a million daily visitors, and as ...

branch and the largest store, Birmingham, to be closed by January 2019. Richard Lim of Retail Economics said that it remained "hard to know with any certainty just what will happen next at House of Fraser" but that without any external funding within a matter of weeks it would inevitably fall into

administration Administration may refer to: Management of organizations * Management, the act of directing people towards accomplishing a goal ** Administrative assistant, Administrative Assistant, traditionally known as a Secretary, or also known as an admini ...

. Before the intended closures the company employed 6,000 people directly, with another 11,500 employed through concessions. The subsequent administration of the business meant the CVA and associated plans for restructuring (including the previously announced store closures) came to an abrupt end.

2018–present: Sports Direct and Frasers Group PLC

On 10 August 2018, House of Fraser entered

. Later that day, Sports Direct (now

) agreed to buy the assets of the business – the House of Fraser stores, brand and the stock – for £90 million in cash on a

pre-packaged insolvency Pre-packaged insolvency (a "pre-pack") is a kind of bankruptcy procedure, where a restructure plan is agreed in advance of a company declaring its insolvency. In the United States pre-packs are often used in a Chapter 11 filing. In the United King ...

basis. Soon after the acquisition, many store closures were announced including the previously safe Manchester store, as well as Nottingham, Lakeside, Gateshead and Norwich, among others. However, after months of negotiations, almost all stores were saved, with the exception of the branch in Shrewsbury, Cirencester, Edinburgh Frasers, Chichester and London King William Street, all of which closed during December 2018 and January 2019. In October 2018, Frasers Group plc purchased the Frasers building in Glasgow for £95 million and pledged to restore the building to its former condition. On 14 June 2019, it was confirmed that the store in Hull, which nearly closed in December, would close in Summer 2019 as a result of failing to agree on redevelopments to the site. On 26 July 2019, it was reported that

had received a £605 million bill from the Belgian tax authorities. The retailer rebutted the claims and the matter was resolved in January 2020. Sports Direct described the problems at House of Fraser as "nothing short of terminal". The cost of keeping the group running had been £51 million at that time. Its owner said there would be further store closures and added that there were a number of stores that, despite paying no rent, were still unprofitable. Sports Direct's CEO, Mike Ashley, attributed the collapse of House of Fraser to the "incompetence of previous management". In the Frasers Group plc interim results in December 2019, the group noted it was starting to see signs of recovery as it continued to integrate the business into the Group and bring new disciplines, experience, and skills to bear which were helping the turnaround. The group also noted that the Frasers strategy is to create a superior shopping experience for the consumer which will be led by the original Frasers in Glasgow. On 29 September 2021, the company stated that of the original 59 stores House of Fraser operated at the time of administration, 43 were still open. In November 2021, it was announced that House of Fraser had been given notice of eviction at their Oxford Street store by the landlord, who were going to redevelop the building into a mix of office, retail and leisure. The store would close in January 2022, which along with other store closures would see the chain drop to 41 stores.

Current branches

All stores trade as House of Fraser unless otherwise stated (November 2022): *

Aylesbury Aylesbury ( ) is the county town of Buckinghamshire, South East England. It is home to the Roald Dahl Children's Gallery, David Tugwell`s house on Watermead and the Waterside Theatre. It is in central Buckinghamshire, midway between High Wy ...

(formerly

; acquired 2005) * Balloch, Loch Lomond Shores,

(acquired 2005) *

Bath Bath may refer to: * Bathing, immersion in a fluid ** Bathtub, a large open container for water, in which a person may wash their body ** Public bathing, a public place where people bathe * Thermae, ancient Roman public bathing facilities Plac ...

, Jollys (acquired 1971) *

, Frasers (formerly House of Fraser; opened 2008) *

(formerly Rackhams; acquired 1959) * Bluewater (opened 1999) *

(opened 2008) *

Camberley Camberley is a town in the Borough of Surrey Heath in Surrey, England, approximately south-west of Central London. The town is in the far west of the county, close to the borders of Hampshire and Berkshire. Once part of Windsor Forest, Cambe ...

(formerly Army & Navy, and originally

William Harvey William Harvey (1 April 1578 – 3 June 1657) was an English physician who made influential contributions in anatomy and physiology. He was the first known physician to describe completely, and in detail, the systemic circulation and proper ...

; acquired 1973) *

Cardiff Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...

(formerly Howells / James Howell & Co.; acquired 1972) *

Carlisle Carlisle ( , ; from xcb, Caer Luel) is a city that lies within the Northern England, Northern English county of Cumbria, south of the Anglo-Scottish border, Scottish border at the confluence of the rivers River Eden, Cumbria, Eden, River C ...

(formerly Binns, and originally Robinson Brothers; acquired 1953) *

Cheltenham Cheltenham (), also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a spa town and borough on the edge of the Cotswolds in the county of Gloucestershire, England. Cheltenham became known as a health and holiday spa town resort, following the discovery of mineral s ...

Cavendish House Cavendish House is Cheltenham's oldest and leading department store A department store is a retail establishment offering a wide range of consumer goods in different areas of the store, each area ("department") specializing in a product ...

(acquired 1969) *

Cork Cork or CORK may refer to: Materials * Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product ** Cork (plug), a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container ***Wine cork Places Ireland * Cork (city) ** Metropolitan Cork, also known as G ...

, Frasers (opened 2022) *

Croydon Croydon is a large town in south London, England, south of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Croydon, a local government district of Greater London. It is one of the largest commercial districts in Greater London, with an extensi ...

(opened 2004) *

Darlington Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, County Durham, England. The River Skerne flows through the town; it is a tributary of the River Tees. The Tees itself flows south of the town. In the 19th century, Darlington underwen ...

, Binns (formerly Arthur Sanders; acquired 1953) * Derry / Londonderry, Frasers (opened 2021) *

Epsom Epsom is the principal town of the Borough of Epsom and Ewell in Surrey, England, about south of central London. The town is first recorded as ''Ebesham'' in the 10th century and its name probably derives from that of a Saxon landowner. The ...

(formerly

and originally Army & Navy; opened 1984) *

, Frasers (formerly McDonalds, Wylie & Lochhead and originally the separate stores of McDonalds and Wylie & Lochhead; acquired 1951 and 1957 respectively) *

Guildford Guildford () is a town in west Surrey, around southwest of central London. As of the 2011 census, the town has a population of about 77,000 and is the seat of the wider Borough of Guildford, which had around inhabitants in . The name "Guildf ...

(formerly Army & Navy, and originally William Harvey; acquired 1973) *

High Wycombe High Wycombe, often referred to as Wycombe ( ), is a market town in Buckinghamshire, England. Lying in the valley of the River Wye surrounded by the Chiltern Hills, it is west-northwest of Charing Cross in London, south-southeast of Ayl ...

(opened 2008) closing down *

(formerly Rackhams, prior to that the temporary premises of Schofields, and originally the Leeds branch of

Woolworths Woolworth, Woolworth's, or Woolworths may refer to: Businesses * F. W. Woolworth Company, the original US-based chain of "five and dime" (5¢ and 10¢) stores * Woolworths Group (United Kingdom), former operator of the Woolworths chain of shops ...

; acquired 1988) due to close *

Lincoln Lincoln most commonly refers to: * Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865), the sixteenth president of the United States * Lincoln, England, cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England * Lincoln, Nebraska, the capital of Nebraska, U.S. * Lincoln ...

(formerly Binns, and originally

Mawer & Collingham Mawer & Collingham was a department store located in Lincoln, England until being purchased by House of Fraser in 1980. History William Mawer is listed as trading as a linen draper at 229 High Street in Lincoln in 1810, however it is not known ...

; acquired 1980) *

(opened 2005) *

Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...

(formerly Kendals / Kendal Milne & Co.; acquired 1959) *

(opened 2005) *

Nottingham Nottingham ( , East Midlands English, locally ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England. It is located north-west of London, south-east ...

(opened 1997) *

Plymouth Plymouth () is a port city and unitary authority in South West England. It is located on the south coast of Devon, approximately south-west of Exeter and south-west of London. It is bordered by Cornwall to the west and south-west. Plymouth ...

(formerly Dingles / E Dingle & Co.; acquired 1971) *

Reading Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of Letter (alphabet), letters, symbols, etc., especially by Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch. For educators and researchers, reading is a multifaceted process invo ...

(opened 1999) * Rushden, Rushden Lakes, Frasers (formerly House of Fraser; opened 2017) *

Solihull Solihull (, or ) is a market town and the administrative centre of the wider Metropolitan Borough of Solihull in West Midlands County, England. The town had a population of 126,577 at the 2021 Census. Solihull is situated on the River Blythe i ...

(formerly Beatties; acquired 2005) *

Sutton Coldfield Sutton Coldfield or the Royal Town of Sutton Coldfield, known locally as Sutton ( ), is a town and civil parish in the City of Birmingham, West Midlands, England. The town lies around 8 miles northeast of Birmingham city centre, 9 miles south ...

(formerly Beatties; acquired 2005) *

Telford Telford () is a town in the borough of Telford and Wrekin and ceremonial county of Shropshire, England, about east of Shrewsbury, south west of Stafford, north west of Wolverhampton and from Birmingham in the same direction. With an est ...

(formerly Beatties; acquired 2005) * West Thurrock, Lakeside (opened 1991) * White City, Westfield London (opened 2008) closing down *

Wolverhampton Wolverhampton () is a city, metropolitan borough and administrative centre in the West Midlands, England. The population size has increased by 5.7%, from around 249,500 in 2011 to 263,700 in 2021. People from the city are called "Wulfrunian ...

, Frasers (opened 2021 in premises previously occupied by

Debenhams Debenhams plc was a British department store chain operating in the United Kingdom, Denmark and the Republic of Ireland. It was founded in 1778 as a single store in London and grew to 178 locations across those countries, also owning the Danish ...

) *

Worcester Worcester may refer to: Places United Kingdom * Worcester, England, a city and the county town of Worcestershire in England ** Worcester (UK Parliament constituency), an area represented by a Member of Parliament * Worcester Park, London, Englan ...

(formerly Beatties; acquired 2005) Outlet/clearance stores: *

Doncaster Doncaster (, ) is a city in South Yorkshire, England. Named after the River Don, it is the administrative centre of the larger City of Doncaster. It is the second largest settlement in South Yorkshire after Sheffield. Doncaster is situated in ...

, House of Fraser Outlet (formerly Binns, prior to that

Owen Owen Owen Owen was a Liverpool-based operator of department stores in the United Kingdom and Canada. Beginning with a drapery shop in Liverpool, a chain of department stores was built up, often by taking over rival retailers. The company remained u ...

and originally Verity & Sons; acquired 1976)

Frasers

It was reported in the press in May 2019 that Mike Ashley planned to open a new group of department stores under the Frasers nameplate. This group would have been positioned at the luxury end of the market with a focus on brands, experiences, and services. The project was led by Michael Murray, the group's Head of Elevation. The original Frasers store in Glasgow was planned to become the flagship of the group with a number of existing House of Fraser stores converted to the Frasers format. It was announced that House of Fraser Meadowhall and House of Fraser Belfast would each receive significant investment to become Frasers stores. New Frasers stores would have opened in Liverpool and Wolverhampton. The Wolverhampton opening was announced on 3 October 2019, a new 94,000 sq ft store in premises due to be vacated by

. The closure of House of Fraser's 376,000 sq ft

store in the city was confirmed at the same time.

Future closures

House of Fraser stores in

and

White City White City may refer to: Places Australia * White City, Perth, an amusement park on the Perth foreshore * White City railway station, a former railway station * White City Stadium (Sydney), a tennis centre in Sydney * White City FC, a football clu ...

are scheduled for permanent closure (as of April 2021). In addition to the confirmed closures many of House of Fraser's landlords are currently exploring alternative uses for sites occupied by the group. These include department stores in Bath (Jollys), Birmingham, Cardiff, Edinburgh (Jenners), Guildford, High Wycombe, London (Oxford Street), Manchester, Middlesbrough, Plymouth and Reading.

Former brands and branches

Former regional groups

House of Fraser previously traded under many different, long established brand names. A number of regional groups of stores were acquired and subsequently extended or amalgamated. The Arnotts and Frasers groups were created by House of Fraser from scratch. These key groups, together with the flagship store of each one, and the regions to which they are largely associated are: * Army & Navy,

Victoria Street, London Victoria is an area of Central London in the City of Westminster. It is named after Victoria Station, which is a major transport hub. The station was named after the nearby Victoria Street. The name is used to describe streets adjoining or n ...

and south-east England *

Arnotts Arnotts can refer to; * Arnott's Biscuits, an Australian biscuit and salted snack food company * Arnotts (Ireland), a department store in Dublin, Ireland * Arnotts (Scotland) Arnotts was a department store in Glasgow, Scotland. It became part o ...

, mid-market stores in

and across Scotland *

, stores based in the Midlands. * Binns,

, the north and east of England *

, Regent Street, London and the home counties * Dingles,

and south-west England *

David Evans David, Dave, or Dai Evans may refer to: Academics * Sir David Emrys Evans (1891–1966), Welsh classicist and university principal * David Evans (microbiologist) (1909–1984), British microbiologist * David Stanley Evans (1916–2004), British a ...

Swansea Swansea (; cy, Abertawe ) is a coastal city and the second-largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Swansea ( cy, links=no, Dinas a Sir Abertawe). The city is the twenty-fifth largest in ...

and south Wales * Frasers, up-market stores in

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

and other principal Scottish cities *

Rackhams Rackhams was a British department store that opened in Birmingham, England in 1881. The business became part of the Harrods group in 1955, before Harrods was purchased by House of Fraser in 1959. As part of the Harrods grouping in House of Frase ...

, the Midlands and the north of England.

Former non department store businesses

House of Fraser owned several other retail businesses that were not department stores. In 1941, Fraser's purchased the furniture retailer Muir Simpson of Sauchiehall Street,

, while J & A Ogilvie Ltd was added in 1966 after the purchase of Wylie and Lochhead. Another business that was gained by purchasing Wylie and Lochhead was funeral directors, which were grown by further purchases. The company also owned clothing manufacturers Nithco Manufacturing, Arthur & Co, and John Kirsop & Son. They also operated clothing stores including Carswell (The Modern Man's Shop), Cochranes Stores, and Logie & Co. In the 1980s it created the brand YOU jewellery & cosmetic stores, purchased the shoe retailer

Kurt Geiger Kurt Geiger is a luxury British footwear and accessories brand. Kurt Geiger has around 70 stores, and approximately 170 concessions within department stores, including Harrods and Selfridges. Kurt Geiger owns three brands Kurt Geiger London, KG ...

, in addition to growing its sports chain Astral Sports which it had purchased in 1978.

Former branches

Over the years, the following department stores have closed and no longer trade as part of the company. *

Aberdeen Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), and ...

, Arnotts (formerly

Isaac Benzie Isaac Benzie was a department store located in Aberdeen, Scotland. History Isaac Benzie in 1894 opened a small drapery store at 185 George Street, Aberdeen after serving an apprenticeship in a general merchants shop in the village of Oyne Oy ...

) * Aberdeen, Frasers (formerly Falconers / John Falconer; closed 2002) * Aberdeen, A & R Milne * Aberdeen, Reid & Pearson * Aberdeen, R J Smith * Aberdeen, Watt & Grant *

Aldershot Aldershot () is a town in Hampshire, England. It lies on heathland in the extreme northeast corner of the county, southwest of London. The area is administered by Rushmoor Borough Council. The town has a population of 37,131, while the Alders ...

, Army & Navy (formerly Thomas White) *

Altrincham Altrincham ( , locally ) is a market town in Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, south of the River Mersey. It is southwest of Manchester city centre, southwest of Sale and east of Warrington. At the 2011 Census, it had a population o ...

(formerly

Brown Muff ''Brown Muff & Co, was a small chain of department stores based in Yorkshire, England, with its flagship store located in Bradford. It was purchased by House of Fraser in 1977. History Brown Muff & Co were started in 1814 by Elizabeth Brown at ...

; opened 1978; closed 31 August 2020) *

Arbroath Arbroath () or Aberbrothock ( gd, Obar Bhrothaig ) is a former royal burgh and the largest town in the council area of Angus, Scotland, with a population of 23,902. It lies on the North Sea coast some ENE of Dundee and SSW of Aberdeen. The ...

, Arnotts (formerly Soutars) *

Aviemore Aviemore (; gd, An Aghaidh Mhòr ) is a town and tourist resort, situated within the Cairngorms National Park in the Highlands of Scotland. It is in the Badenoch and Strathspey committee area, within the Highland council area. The town is popul ...

, Arnotts *

Basildon Basildon ( ) is the largest town in the borough of Basildon, within the county of Essex, England. It has a population of 107,123. In 1931 the parish had a population of 1159. It lies east of Central London, south of the city of Chelmsford and ...

, Army & Navy (formerly Taylors) *

(amalgamated with

Jolly & Son Jolly & Son was a small department store chain based in Kent and the West Country. Jolly's historic flagship store in Bath has been part of the House of Fraser group since 1971. Early history James Jolly set up a linen drapery store in Deal, Ken ...

) *

, Robertson Ledlie Ferguson & Co. *

Bingley Bingley is a market town and civil parish in the metropolitan borough of the City of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, on the River Aire and the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, which had a population of 18,294 at the 2011 Census. Bingley railwa ...

, Brown Muff (formerly Pratts) *

Birkenhead Birkenhead (; cy, Penbedw) is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, Merseyside, England; historically, it was part of Cheshire until 1974. The town is on the Wirral Peninsula, along the south bank of the River Mersey, opposite Liver ...

, House of Fraser (formerly Beatties, and originally Allansons; acquired 2005; closed 25 March 2020) *

, Beatties (formerly the Birmingham branch of C & A; closed 2006) *

Blackpool Blackpool is a seaside resort in Lancashire, England. Located on the North West England, northwest coast of England, it is the main settlement within the Borough of Blackpool, borough also called Blackpool. The town is by the Irish Sea, betw ...

, Binns (formerly R H O Hills) *

* Bournemouth, House of Fraser (formerly Dingles, and originally Brights; acquired 1969) closed 2022 *

, Rackhams (formerly Brown Muff / Brown, Muff & Co.; closed 1995) *

Bridlington Bridlington is a coastal town and a civil parish on the Holderness Coast of the North Sea in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is about north of Hull and east of York. The Gypsey Race enters the North Sea at its harbour. The 2011 Cen ...

, Binns (formerly Hammonds, and originally Carltons; closed 1995) *

Brigg Brigg ( /'brɪg/) is a market town in North Lincolnshire, England, with a population of 5,076 in the 2001 UK census, the population increased to 5,626 at the 2011 census. The town lies at the junction of the River Ancholme and east–west tra ...

, Binns (formerly Lacey & Clark) *

, Dingles (formerly Brights, prior to that the Bristol branch of Bobby & Co., and originally John Cordeux & Sons) * Bristol, House of Fraser (formerly

Bentalls Bentalls is a British department store chain with a branch in Kingston upon Thames. The well regarded 'county' department store began as a drapery shop, founded by Frank Bentall in 1867. The company was formerly listed on the London Stock Exchang ...

, prior to that

John Lewis John Robert Lewis (February 21, 1940 – July 17, 2020) was an American politician and civil rights activist who served in the United States House of Representatives for from 1987 until his death in 2020. He participated in the 1960 Nashville ...

, and originally the Bristol branch of

Lewis's Lewis's was a chain of British department stores that operated from 1856 to 2010. The owners of Lewis's have gone into administration many times over the years, including 1991. The first store, which opened in Liverpool city centre, became ...

; closed 2008; relocated to Cabot Circus in the same year) * Bristol, Jollys *

Bromley Bromley is a large town in Greater London, England, within the London Borough of Bromley. It is south-east of Charing Cross, and had an estimated population of 87,889 as of 2011. Originally part of Kent, Bromley became a market town, char ...

, Army & Navy (formerly Harrison Gibson; closed 2004) *

Burton upon Trent Burton upon Trent, also known as Burton-on-Trent or simply Burton, is a market town in the borough of East Staffordshire in the county of Staffordshire, England, close to the border with Derbyshire. In United Kingdom Census 2011, 2011, it had a ...

, Beatties (acquired 2005, closed 29 September 2012) *

, Seccombes *

Chichester Chichester () is a cathedral city and civil parish in West Sussex, England.OS Explorer map 120: Chichester, South Harting and Selsey Scale: 1:25 000. Publisher:Ordnance Survey – Southampton B2 edition. Publishing Date:2009. It is the only ci ...

, House of Fraser (formerly Army & Navy, and originally J D Morant; acquired 1973; closed 26 January 2019) *

Cirencester Cirencester (, ; see below for more variations) is a market town in Gloucestershire, England, west of London. Cirencester lies on the River Churn, a tributary of the River Thames, and is the largest town in the Cotswolds. It is the home of ...

, House of Fraser (formerly Rackhams, and originally Frederick Boulton; acquired 1975; closed 5 January 2019) *

Coatbridge Coatbridge ( sco, Cotbrig or Coatbrig, gd, Drochaid a' Chòta) is a town in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, about east of Glasgow city centre, set in the central Lowlands. Along with neighbouring town Airdrie, Coatbridge forms the area known as ...

, Arnotts (formerly Bairds) *

Crouch End Crouch End is an area of North London, approximately from the City of London in the western half of the borough of Haringey. It is within the Hornsey postal district (N8). It has been described by the BBC as one of "a new breed of urban villag ...

, James H Wilson *

Cwmbran Cwmbran ( ; cy, Cwmbrân , also in use as an alternative spelling in English) is a town in the county borough of Torfaen in South Wales. Lying within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire, Cwmbran was designated as a New Town in 1949 to pro ...

House of Fraser (formerly

; acquired 1977, closed 29 June 2022) *

Dingwall Dingwall ( sco, Dingwal, gd, Inbhir Pheofharain ) is a town and a royal burgh in the Highland council area of Scotland. It has a population of 5,491. It was an east-coast harbour that now lies inland. Dingwall Castle was once the biggest cast ...

, Arnotts (formerly Benzies) *

, Brown Muff *

, House of Fraser Outlet (formerly Binns, previously Owen Owen, originally Verity & Sons) * Dorchester, Dingles (formerly Army & Navy, and originally Genge & Co.) *

Drumchapel Drumchapel ( gd, Druim a' Chapaill), known locally as 'The Drum', is a district in the north-west of the city of Glasgow, Scotland. It borders Bearsden (in East Dunbartonshire) to the north-east and Drumry (part of Clydebank, in West Dunbartons ...

, Arnotts (formerly Bairds) *

Dudley Dudley is a large market town and administrative centre in the county of West Midlands, England, southeast of Wolverhampton and northwest of Birmingham. Historically an exclave of Worcestershire, the town is the administrative centre of the ...

, Beatties (closed 2010) *

Dumfries Dumfries ( ; sco, Dumfries; from gd, Dùn Phris ) is a market town and former royal burgh within the Dumfries and Galloway council area of Scotland. It is located near the mouth of the River Nith into the Solway Firth about by road from the ...

, Binns (formerly Robinson Brothers and originally William Munro; closed 1990) *

Dundee Dundee (; sco, Dundee; gd, Dùn Dè or ) is Scotland's fourth-largest city and the 51st-most-populous built-up area in the United Kingdom. The mid-year population estimate for 2016 was , giving Dundee a population density of 2,478/km2 or ...

, Arnotts (formerly D M Brown; closed 2002) * Dundee, Alexander Ewing & Co. * Dundrum, House of Fraser (opened 2005; closed 2020) *

Eastbourne Eastbourne () is a town and seaside resort in East Sussex, on the south coast of England, east of Brighton and south of London. Eastbourne is immediately east of Beachy Head, the highest chalk sea cliff in Great Britain and part of the la ...

, Army & Navy (formerly Barkers, and originally Dale & Kerley; closed 1997) *

East Kilbride East Kilbride (; gd, Cille Bhrìghde an Ear ) is the largest town in South Lanarkshire in Scotland and the country's sixth-largest locality by population. It was also designated Scotland's first new town on 6 May 1947. The area lies on a rais ...

, Arnotts (formerly Bairds) *

, Peter Allan * Edinburgh, Arnotts (formerly J & R Allan) * Edinburgh, Arnotts (formerly

Patrick Thomson Patrick Thomson was a department store located at the southern end of North Bridge in Edinburgh. In 1952, its parent company the Scottish Drapery Corporation was purchased by House of Fraser. History Patrick Thomson opened a small haberdashery ...

) * Edinburgh, J D Blair & Son *

, Frasers (formerly Binns, and originally Robert Maule & Son; acquired 1953; closed 10 November 2018) *

acquired 2005, closed 2021 * Edinburgh, William Small & Sons * Elgin, Arnotts (formerly Benzie & Miller, and originally A L Ramsay & Son) *

, Army & Navy (formerly Chiesmans, and originally Reids / H L Reid & Co.; acquired 1975; closed 1984) *

Evesham Evesham () is a market town and parish in the Wychavon district of Worcestershire, in the West Midlands region of England. It is located roughly equidistant between Worcester, Cheltenham and Stratford-upon-Avon. It lies within the Vale of Evesha ...

, Rightons *

Exeter Exeter () is a city in Devon, South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol. In Roman Britain, Exeter was established as the base of Legio II Augusta under the personal comm ...

, House of Fraser (formerly Dingles, and originally

Colsons Colson's, later Dingle's and House of Fraser, was a department store located in Exeter, Devon, England. Located on the High Street, the store was founded in 1792, expanded after damage in the Second World War. It was later purchased and grouped ...

; acquired 1969; closed 2 November 2019) *

Falkirk Falkirk ( gd, An Eaglais Bhreac, sco, Fawkirk) is a large town in the Central Lowlands of Scotland, historically within the county of Stirlingshire. It lies in the Forth Valley, northwest of Edinburgh and northeast of Glasgow. Falkirk had a ...

, Arnotts (formerly Bairds) * Falmouth, Dingles (formerly Cox & Horder) *

Fraserburgh Fraserburgh (; sco, The Broch or ; gd, A' Bhruaich) is a town in Aberdeenshire (unitary), Aberdeenshire, Scotland with a population recorded in the United Kingdom Census 2011, 2011 Census at 13,100. It lies at the far northeast corner of Aber ...

Benzie & Miller Benzie & Miller was a small department store chain based in Scotland and became part of House of Fraser in 1958. Early history Benzie & Miller was set up as a department store in 1920 by an amalgamation of business' in Fraserburgh, Scotland. In ...

(acquired 1958; closed 1968) *

Gateshead Gateshead () is a large town in northern England. It is on the River Tyne's southern bank, opposite Newcastle upon Tyne, Newcastle to which it is joined by seven bridges. The town contains the Gateshead Millennium Bridge, Millennium Bridge, Sage ...

, MetroCentre, House of Fraser (opened 1986, closed September 2021) *

(formerly Arnott Simpson, and originally Arnott & Co. and Robert Simpson & Sons) * Glasgow, Copland & Lye * Glasgow, Dallas's * Glasgow,

Dalys The disability-adjusted life year (DALY) is a measure of overall disease burden, expressed as the number of years lost due to ill-health, disability or early death. It was developed in the 1990s as a way of comparing the overall health and life ex ...

* Glasgow, Duncans * Glasgow, Fraser, Sons & Co. (closed 1975; business transferred to McDonald's Wylie & Lochhead store opposite) * Glasgow,

Pettigrew & Stephens Pettigrew & Stephens was a department store based in Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow. History In 1888, Andrew Hislop Pettigrew (1857-1942) and William Henry Stephens formed a partnership and opened a shop at 191-193 Sauchiehall Street (known as Man ...

* Glasgow, Arnotts (formerly Thomas Muirhead) * Glasgow, Wood & Selby *

Gravesend Gravesend is a town in northwest Kent, England, situated 21 miles (35 km) east-southeast of Charing Cross (central London) on the Bank (geography), south bank of the River Thames and opposite Tilbury in Essex. Located in the diocese of Ro ...

, Army & Navy (formerly Chiesmans and originally Bon Marche) * Greenock, Arnotts (formerly Shannons / J & S Shannon) *

Greenock Greenock (; sco, Greenock; gd, Grianaig, ) is a town and administrative centre in the Inverclyde council areas of Scotland, council area in Scotland, United Kingdom and a former burgh of barony, burgh within the Counties of Scotland, historic ...

, Prentices / D & A Prentice *

Grimsby Grimsby or Great Grimsby is a port town and the administrative centre of North East Lincolnshire, Lincolnshire, England. Grimsby adjoins the town of Cleethorpes directly to the south-east forming a conurbation. Grimsby is north-east of Linco ...

, House of Fraser (formerly Binns, and originally Guy & Smith; acquired 1969; closed 2020) *

, Binns (formerly McDonalds and originally Edward J Clarke) * Harrogate, Schofields (formerly Cresta House, and originally the Harrogate branch of Marshall & Snelgrove) *

Helston Helston ( kw, Hellys) is a town and civil parish in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated at the northern end of the Lizard Peninsula approximately east of Penzance and south-west of Falmouth.Ordnance Survey: Landranger map shee ...

, Dingles (formerly B Thomas) *

Hove Hove is a seaside resort and one of the two main parts of the city of Brighton and Hove, along with Brighton in East Sussex, England. Originally a "small but ancient fishing village" surrounded by open farmland, it grew rapidly in the 19th cen ...

, Army & Navy (formerly Chiesmans, prior to that Stuart Norris and originally Driscolls) *

Huddersfield Huddersfield is a market town in the Kirklees district in West Yorkshire, England. It is the administrative centre and largest settlement in the Kirklees district. The town is in the foothills of the Pennines. The River Holme's confluence into ...

House of Fraser p(formerly Beatties; acquired 2005, closed 29 August 2022) * Hull, House of Fraser (formerly

Hammonds Hammonds LLP, also known as Hammonds Suddards, was an international law firm headquartered in Leeds, United Kingdom, with offices in Beijing, Berlin, Birmingham, Bradford, Brussels, Hong Kong, Leeds, Madrid, Manchester, Munich and Paris. The f ...

; acquired 1972; closed 4 August 2019) * Ilford, Army & Navy (formerly Chiesmans and originally Burnes) *

Inverness Inverness (; from the gd, Inbhir Nis , meaning "Mouth of the River Ness"; sco, Innerness) is a city in the Scottish Highlands. It is the administrative centre for The Highland Council and is regarded as the capital of the Highlands. Histori ...

, Arnotts (formerly

, and originally Young & Chapman; acquired 1958; closed 2003) *

Islington Islington () is a district in the north of Greater London, England, and part of the London Borough of Islington. It is a mainly residential district of Inner London, extending from Islington's High Street to Highbury Fields, encompassing the ar ...

, T R Roberts *

, Barkers / John Barker & Co. (acquired 1957; closed 2006) * Kensington,

Derry & Toms Derry & Toms was a London department store that was founded in 1860 in Kensington High Street and was famous for its Roof Garden which opened in 1938. In 1973 the store was closed and became home to Big Biba, which closed in 1975. The site wa ...

(acquired 1957; closed 1973) * Kensington,

Pontings Pontings was a department store based in Kensington High Street, London and operated from 1863 to 1970. Early history Pontings started out as a small drapery business by Thomas Ponting in Archer Street, just off Westbourne Grove, as Thomas H Po ...

(acquired 1957; closed 1970) *

Kilmarnock Kilmarnock (, sco, Kilmaurnock; gd, Cill Mheàrnaig (IPA: ʰʲɪʎˈveaːɾnəkʲ, "Marnock's church") is a large town and former burgh in East Ayrshire, Scotland and is the administrative centre of East Ayrshire, East Ayrshire Council. ...

, Arnotts (formerly Frasers and originally Hugh Lauder & Co.) *

Kingston upon Thames Kingston upon Thames (hyphenated until 1965, colloquially known as Kingston) is a town in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, southwest London, England. It is situated on the River Thames and southwest of Charing Cross. It is notable as ...

, Army & Navy (formerly Chiesmans, Hide & Co., and originally Shrubsoles) *

Kirkcaldy Kirkcaldy ( ; sco, Kirkcaldy; gd, Cair Chaladain) is a town and former royal burgh in Fife, on the east coast of Scotland. It is about north of Edinburgh and south-southwest of Dundee. The town had a recorded population of 49,460 in 2011, ...

, Arnotts (formerly Sutters) *

, Schofields (closed 1996) *

Leicester Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest settlement in the East Midlands. The city l ...

, Hotel Street and Market Street, Rackhams (formerly Morgan Squire, acquired 1969; closed 1990) *

, Highcross / The Shires, House of Fraser Outlet (formerly Rackhams, opened 1991; closed 2017) *

Lewisham Lewisham () is an area of southeast London, England, south of Charing Cross. It is the principal area of the London Borough of Lewisham, and was within the Historic counties of England, historic county of Kent until 1889. It is identified i ...

, Army & Navy (formerly Chiesmans) *

Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...

, Binns (formerly Hendersons / William Henderson & Sons) * Liverpool, House of Fraser.com (opened 2011; closed 2013) * London, King William Street, House of Fraser (opened 2003; closed 29 December 2018) *

Oxford Street, London Oxford Street is a major road in the City of Westminster in the West End of London, running from Tottenham Court Road to Marble Arch via Oxford Circus. It is Europe's busiest shopping street, with around half a million daily visitors, and as o ...

, House of Fraser (formerly

; acquired 1959) * London, Regent Street,

(acquired 1959; closed 2006) *

, Army & Navy (formerly T C Dunning & Son; closed 2005) *

, Chiesmans (formerly Denniss Paine) *

Milton Keynes Milton Keynes ( ) is a city and the largest settlement in Buckinghamshire, England, about north-west of London. At the 2021 Census, the population of its urban area was over . The River Great Ouse forms its northern boundary; a tributary ...

, House of Fraser (formerly Dickins & Jones; opened 1981; closed 1 February 2020) *

Middlesbrough Middlesbrough ( ) is a town on the southern bank of the River Tees in North Yorkshire, England. It is near the North York Moors national park. It is the namesake and main town of its local borough council area. Until the early 1800s, the a ...

, House of Fraser (formerly Binns and originally Thomas Jones; acquired 1953; closed 2022) *

Motherwell Motherwell ( sco, Mitherwall, gd, Tobar na Màthar) is a town and former burgh in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, United Kingdom, south east of Glasgow. It has a population of around 32,120. Historically in the parish of Dalziel and part of Lanarks ...

, Arnotts (formerly Bairds) *

Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne ( RP: , ), or simply Newcastle, is a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. The city is located on the River Tyne's northern bank and forms the largest part of the Tyneside built-up area. Newcastle is ...

, Binns (formerly James Coxon; closed 1994) *

Newport, Isle of Wight Newport is the county town of the Isle of Wight, an island county off the south coast of England. The town is slightly north of the centre of the island, and is in the civil parish of Newport and Carisbrooke. It has a quay at the head of the nav ...

, Army & Navy (formerly Chiesmans, and originally Morris / Edward Morris) *

Newquay Newquay ( ; kw, Tewynblustri) is a town on the north coast in Cornwall, in the south west of England. It is a civil parish, seaside resort, regional centre for aerospace industries, spaceport and a fishing port on the North Atlantic coast of ...

, Dingles (formerly Hawke & Thomas) *

Newton Abbot Newton Abbot is a market town and civil parish on the River Teign in the Teignbridge District of Devon, England. Its 2011 population of 24,029 was estimated to reach 26,655 in 2019. It grew rapidly in the Victorian era as the home of the Sou ...

, Dingles (formerly William Badcock & Son) * Newton Abbot,

J F Rockhey J F Rockhey was a department store located in Torquay, Devon with a further smaller branch in Newton Abbot. History John Fry Rockhey bought a small drapery business on Fleet Street, Torquay from a Mr Peter Thomas in 1881, and set about expanding ...

* Newton Abbot, Henry Warren & Son *

Northampton Northampton () is a market town and civil parish in the East Midlands of England, on the River Nene, north-west of London and south-east of Birmingham. The county town of Northamptonshire, Northampton is one of the largest towns in England; ...

, House of Fraser (formerly Beatties; acquired 2005; closed 2014) *

Oswestry Oswestry ( ; ) is a market town, civil parish and historic railway town in Shropshire, England, close to the Welsh border. It is at the junction of the A5, A483 and A495 roads. The town was the administrative headquarters of the Borough of ...

, Rackhams (formerly Bradleys) *

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

, Webbers * Paisley, Arnotts (formerly Robert Cochran & Son; closed 2003) * Paisley, Fraser & Love *

Penzance Penzance ( ; kw, Pennsans) is a town, civil parish and port in the Penwith district of Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is the most westerly major town in Cornwall and is about west-southwest of Plymouth and west-southwest of London. Situated ...

, Dingles (formerly John Polglase) *

Perth Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...

, Frasers (opened 1984; closed 2002; purchased by

) * Perth, Gordon & Stanfield * Perth, D A Wallace & Co. *

Peterhead Peterhead (; gd, Ceann Phàdraig, sco, Peterheid ) is a town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is Aberdeenshire's biggest settlement (the city of Aberdeen itself not being a part of the district), with a population of 18,537 at the 2011 Census. ...

, Arnotts (previously

and originally Simpson & Barclay; destroyed by fire in 1977 and not reopened) *

Port Glasgow Port Glasgow ( gd, Port Ghlaschu, ) is the second-largest town in the Inverclyde council area of Scotland. The population according to the 1991 census for Port Glasgow was 19,426 persons and in the 2001 census was 16,617 persons. The most recen ...

, Bairds *

Port Talbot Port Talbot (, ) is a town and community in the county borough of Neath Port Talbot, Wales, situated on the east side of Swansea Bay, approximately from Swansea. The Port Talbot Steelworks covers a large area of land which dominates the south ...

, David Evans (formerly W J Williams) *

Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council. Portsmouth is the most dens ...

, Army & Navy (formerly John Anstiss) *

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, ...

, House of Fraser (formerly Dickins & Jones, opened 1970 on site of Gosling & Sons, acquired 1957; closed September 2020) *

, Wright Brothers, sold to Owen Owen in 1976. *

Rochester Rochester may refer to: Places Australia * Rochester, Victoria Canada * Rochester, Alberta United Kingdom *Rochester, Kent ** City of Rochester-upon-Medway (1982–1998), district council area ** History of Rochester, Kent ** HM Prison ...

, Army & Navy (formerly Chiesmans, and originally Leonards) *

Leamington Spa Royal Leamington Spa, commonly known as Leamington Spa or simply Leamington (), is a spa town and civil parish in Warwickshire, England. Originally a small village called Leamington Priors, it grew into a spa town in the 18th century following ...

, House of Fraser (formerly Rackhams, prior to that Army & Navy, and originally Burgis & Colbourne; acquired 1973) *

St Albans St Albans () is a cathedral city in Hertfordshire, England, east of Hemel Hempstead and west of Hatfield, Hertfordshire, Hatfield, north-west of London, south-west of Welwyn Garden City and south-east of Luton. St Albans was the first major ...

, Army & Navy (formerly W S Green) *

Salisbury Salisbury ( ) is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England with a population of 41,820, at the confluence of the rivers Avon, Nadder and Bourne. The city is approximately from Southampton and from Bath. Salisbury is in the southeast of Wil ...

, Dingles (formerly Clark & Lonnen) *

Scunthorpe Scunthorpe () is an industrial town and unparished area in the unitary authority of North Lincolnshire in Lincolnshire, England of which it is the main administrative centre. Scunthorpe had an estimated total population of 82,334 in 2016. A pre ...

, Binns (opened 1974; closed 1997) *

, House of Fraser (formerly Rackhams, and originally Walshs / John Walsh; acquired 1959; closed 1998) *

, Meadowhall, House of Fraser (opened 1990; closed 2021) *

Shotts Shotts is a town in North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is located almost halfway between Glasgow () and Edinburgh (). The village has a population of about 8,840. A local story has Shotts being named after the legendary giant highwayman Bertram de ...

, Arnotts (formerly Bairds) *

Shrewsbury Shrewsbury ( , also ) is a market town, civil parish, and the county town of Shropshire, England, on the River Severn, north-west of London; at the 2021 census, it had a population of 76,782. The town's name can be pronounced as either 'Sh ...

, Grocott & Co.(amalgamated with Joseph Della Porta) *

, House of Fraser (formerly Rackhams, and originally

Joseph Della Porta Joseph Della Porta was a department store located in The Square, Shrewsbury. History Founder Joseph Della Porta came to England in 1847 from Italy, and by 1857 had opened a small store on Princess Street, Shrewsbury. He expanded the business by ...

; acquired 1975; closed 12 January 2019) *

Skipton Skipton (also known as Skipton-in-Craven) is a market town and civil parish in the Craven district of North Yorkshire, England. Historically in the East Division of Staincliffe Wapentake in the West Riding of Yorkshire, it is on the River Air ...

, Rackhams (formerly

, and originally

Amblers Amblers, also known as the Coke-Watts House, is a historic farmstead at 2205 Jamestown Road in James City County, Virginia, just north of the Jamestown peninsula. Its main house is a handsome -story brick structure, built in 1852 in the country ...

; acquired 1977, closed 6 December 2019) *

Southend-on-Sea Southend-on-Sea (), commonly referred to as Southend (), is a coastal city and unitary authority area with borough status in southeastern Essex, England. It lies on the north side of the Thames Estuary, east of central London. It is bordered ...

, Army & Navy (formerly Chiesmans, and prior to that the Southend branch of

J R Roberts Stores J R Roberts Stores opened in 1870 in Stratford, London as a drapery and furniture shop at 96 Broadway, before expanding and becoming a full line department store covering 78-102 Broadway. In 1888, it is reported that J R Roberts opened the firs ...

) *

Southport Southport is a seaside town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England. At the 2001 census, it had a population of 90,336, making it the eleventh most populous settlement in North West England. Southport lies on the Irish ...

, Binns (formerly Alexanders) *

South Shields South Shields () is a coastal town in South Tyneside, Tyne and Wear, England. It is on the south bank of the mouth of the River Tyne. Historically, it was known in Roman times as Arbeia, and as Caer Urfa by Early Middle Ages. According to the 20 ...

, Binns (formerly Fowler & Brock; acquired 1953; closed 1995) *

, Binns (acquired 1953; closed 1993) *

, David Evans (acquired 1977; closed 2005) *

, House of Fraser Outlet (formerly House of Fraser; opened 1996; closed November 2021) *

Torquay Torquay ( ) is a seaside town in Devon, England, part of the unitary authority area of Torbay. It lies south of the county town of Exeter and east-north-east of Plymouth, on the north of Tor Bay, adjoining the neighbouring town of Paignton ...

, Dingles (formerly

) *

Trowbridge Trowbridge ( ) is the county town of Wiltshire, England, on the River Biss in the west of the county. It is near the border with Somerset and lies southeast of Bath, 31 miles (49 km) southwest of Swindon and 20 miles (32 km) southe ...

, Dingles (formerly Fear Hill) *

Truro Truro (; kw, Truru) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and civil parishes in England, civil parish in Cornwall, England. It is Cornwall's county town, sole city and centre for administration, leisure and retail trading. Its ...

, Dingles (formerly Criddle & Smith) *

Tunbridge Wells Royal Tunbridge Wells is a town in Kent, England, southeast of central London. It lies close to the border with East Sussex on the northern edge of the Weald, High Weald, whose sandstone geology is exemplified by the rock formation High Roc ...

, Army & Navy (formerly Chiesmans and originally Waymarks) * Upton Park, Army & Navy (formerly Chiesmans, prior to that The John Lewis Store of Upton Park and originally John Lewis & Co.) *

, House of Fraser (formerly Army & Navy / Army & Navy Stores; acquired 1973, closed July 2022) *

Wells Wells most commonly refers to: * Wells, Somerset, a cathedral city in Somerset, England * Well, an excavation or structure created in the ground * Wells (name) Wells may also refer to: Places Canada *Wells, British Columbia England * Wells ...

, Dingles (formerly Fear Hill, and originally J N Button) *

West Hartlepool West Hartlepool was a predecessor of Hartlepool, County Durham, England. It developed in the Victorian era and took the name from its western position in the parish of what is now known as the Headland. The former town was originally formed in ...

, Binns (formerly Gray Peverell; closed 1992) *

Whifflet Whifflet ( sco, The Whufflit, gd, Magh na Cruithneachd) is now a suburb of Coatbridge, Scotland, which once formed its own distinctive village. It is referred to locally as 'The Whifflet' (and pronounced ''whiff-lit''). Presently located in the N ...

, Arnotts (formerly Bairds) *

Wishaw Wishaw ( sco, Wishae or Wisha ; gd, Camas Neachdain) is a large town in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, on the edge of the Clyde Valley, south-east of Glasgow city centre. The Burgh of Wishaw was formed in 1855 within Lanarkshire. it formed ...

, Arnotts (formerly Bairds / T Baird & Sons) *

(acquired 2005; closed 2020) *

, Rackhams (formerly Army & Navy, and originally Thomas Clarkson & Sons) *

Wood Green Wood Green is a suburban district in the borough of Haringey in London, England. Its postal district is N22, with parts in N8 or N15. The London Plan identifies it as one of the metropolitan centres in Greater London, and today it forms a maj ...

, Army & Navy (formerly Chiesmans and originally A Barton & Co.) * Wood Green, D H Evans *

Yeovil Yeovil ( ) is a town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the district of South Somerset, England. The population of Yeovil at the last census (2011) was 45,784. More recent estimates show a population of 48,564. It is close to Somer ...

, Dingles (formerly Gamis's) The following department stores were demerged or sold as going concerns: * Airdrie, Bairds -sold in 1989 to a management buyout led by Murdoch McMaster. (formerly Arnotts previously Bairds) *

Ayr Ayr (; sco, Ayr; gd, Inbhir Àir, "Mouth of the River Ayr") is a town situated on the southwest coast of Scotland. It is the administrative centre of the South Ayrshire council area and the historic county town of Ayrshire. With a population ...

, David Hourston & Sons (traded as Arnotts prior to sale) sold in 1989 to a management buyout led by Murdoch McMaster. * Banff, Sold to a management team led by Murdoch McMaster in 1989. (formerly Arnotts, previously

, and originally Rankin & Co.) *

Bellshill Bellshill (pronounced "Bells hill") is a town in North Lanarkshire in Scotland, southeast of Glasgow city centre and west of Edinburgh. Other nearby localities are Motherwell to the south, Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, Hamilton to the south ...

originally Bairds, became Arnotts, before being bought out in 1989 by the management team led by Murdoch McMaster. *

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan ar ...

, A C Illum *

, Cashs (now

Brown Thomas Brown Thomas & Company Limited is a chain of five Irish department stores, located in Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick and Dundrum Town Centre. Part of the Selfridges Group, Brown Thomas is an upmarket chain, akin to Britain's Selfridges stores ...

) *Cork, Robertson Ledlie Ferguson & Co. Sold 1979. *

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...

, Switzer & Co. Purchased by Brown Thomas in 1995. Refurbished and opened as Brown Thomas. *

Galway Galway ( ; ga, Gaillimh, ) is a City status in Ireland, city in the West Region, Ireland, West of Ireland, in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Connacht, which is the county town of County Galway. It lies on the River Corrib between Lo ...

, Moons (now

) *

Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: People * Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname ** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland ** Lord Hamilt ...

, Bairds (traded as Arnotts prior to sale) sold 1989 in management buyout led by Murdoch McMaster. *

Irvine Irvine may refer to: Places On Earth Antarctica *Irvine Glacier *Mount Irvine (Antarctica) Australia *Irvine Island *Mount Irvine, New South Wales Canada *Irvine, Alberta * Irvine Inlet, Nunavut United Kingdom *Irvine, North Ayrshire, Scotla ...

, formerly Arnotts, sold as part of management buyout led by Murdoch McMaster in 1989. *

Knightsbridge, London Knightsbridge is a residential and retail district in central London, south of Hyde Park. It is identified in the London Plan as one of two international retail centres in London, alongside the West End. Toponymy Knightsbridge is an ancien ...

Limerick Limerick ( ; ga, Luimneach ) is a western city in Ireland situated within County Limerick. It is in the province of Munster and is located in the Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region. With a population of 94,192 at the 2016 ...

, Todds (now

) *

Stirling Stirling (; sco, Stirlin; gd, Sruighlea ) is a city in central Scotland, northeast of Glasgow and north-west of Edinburgh. The market town, surrounded by rich farmland, grew up connecting the royal citadel, the medieval old town with its me ...

, McLachlan & Brown (traded as Frasers prior to sale) *

Waterford "Waterford remains the untaken city" , mapsize = 220px , pushpin_map = Ireland#Europe , pushpin_map_caption = Location within Ireland##Location within Europe , pushpin_relief = 1 , coordinates ...

, Robertson Ledlie Ferguson & Co.

References

External links

*
House of Fraser archive project, University of GlasgowHouse of Fraser Archive
{{DEFAULTSORT:House Of Fraser Department stores of the United Kingdom Scottish brands Companies based in Derbyshire Companies based in Glasgow Clothing retailers of Scotland Clothing companies of Scotland Retail companies established in 1849 1849 establishments in Scotland British Royal Warrant holders History of Glasgow Sports Direct Companies that have entered administration in the United Kingdom

History

The early years

Fraser & Sons

1950s to 1970s

1980–1985

1985–2006: Al Fayed ownership

2006–2014: Highland Group Holdings

2014–2018: Sanpower Group ownership

2018: Administration

2018–present: Sports Direct and Frasers Group PLC

Current branches

Frasers

Future closures

Former brands and branches

Former regional groups

Former non department store businesses

Former branches

See also

References

External links