Is House of Fraser closing down? Full list of store closures in 2023

Find out if your local store is closing for good

A House of Fraser shop with a closing down sign in the window
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Ellie Hutchings
By Ellie Hutchings
published

Here's the latest news on which House of Fraser stores are closing down in 2023.

The British department store has been in turmoil for the last few years, and roughly half of House of Fraser sites have closed in the past five years. It's not the only shop that's seen a decline in numbers on the high street, as it was recently announced some New Look stores are closing (opens in new tab), several TK Maxx stores are shutting (opens in new tab) and some M&S stores are closing (opens in new tab) too. 

And while House of Fraser shops have been dwindling for a few years now, each new closure is a blow to the high street. Several more stores have shut in recent months and with another announced, we take a look at which House of Fraser stores have closed down.

Is House of Fraser closing down? Full list of stores shutting

The House of Fraser in Cardiff city centre will be closing down in March, though an exact date has not yet been set. The Howell's building has been a landmark on St. Mary's street for 150 years, and rebranded as House of Fraser in 2010.

The news follows the closure of House of Fraser's final Central London store, which was situated in the Westfield shopping centre in Shepherd's Bush. The store closed its doors in December 2022, meaning the department store's closest location to Central London is now in Croydon.

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In addition, House of Fraser exited Oxford Street in January 2022, and three years earlier a store in the City was closed. 

Elsewhere in the country, House of Fraser has recently closed stores in Leeds, Huddersfield, and High Wycombe, and the group's Birmingham site is expected to be at risk of closure after it was converted into an outlet store.

Meanwhile, the House of Fraser in Norwich has also closed to undergo refurbishment, but is expected to re-open later in 2023.

This means the chain will be left with about 30 shops in the UK - around half the number it had back in 2018 - and following the closure in Cardiff there will be no remaining House of Fraser stores in Wales.

Why is House of Fraser closing stores?

House of Fraser fell into administration in 2018 and has struggled to recover since then, despite Sports Direct owner Mike Ashley buying the department store chain for £90m just hours after it announced its collapse.

Ashley said he wanted to turn the 174-year-old retailer into the "Harrods of the high street", but despite initially rescuing the chain, around half of its stores have closed since and the department store has become known for prolonged closing down sales. In 2019, Mike Ashley admitting to Forbes that buying House of Fraser was a "mistake".

A House of Fraser shop with a poster saying 'This store is now closed' in the window

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Retail expert Andrew Jennings, who was chief executive of House of Fraser between 1992 and 1996, addressed the closures to RetailGazette (opens in new tab). He said: "It used to be a store of brands across the country appealing to the local community. It now lacks a point of view and understanding of its local customers."

However, according to the Sun (opens in new tab) a Frasers Group spokesperson has addressed the closures, saying: "We are big believers in the British High Street. When we bought House of Fraser out of administration in 2019, we knew we would have to make some tough decisions to secure its long-term, sustainable future.

"Whilst a number of House of Fraser stores are closing, we are also investing heavily in many others across the UK and by the end of this year will have opened over 10 Frasers stores since acquiring the business."

More on store closures:

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Ellie Hutchings
Ellie Hutchings
Junior Features Writer

Ellie joined Goodto as a Junior Features Writer in 2022 after finishing her Master’s in Magazine Journalism at Nottingham Trent University. Previously, she completed successful work experience placements with BBC Good Food, The Big Issue and the Nottingham Post, and freelanced as an arts and entertainment writer alongside her studies. In 2021, Ellie graduated from Cardiff University with a first-class degree in Journalism. 

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