A BELOVED department chain is set to shut the doors on one of its “huge” branches in just a few days time.
The legendary retail giant has operated the popular store for over 25 years in a busy shopping centre but the owners have decided it is time to close it down for good.
House of Fraser is pulling down the shutters on their Bluewater branch on November 27.
The department store has been operated out of large unit which occupies two floors in the Greenhithe shopping centre for years.
Despite shoppers describing the closure as an “end of an era” they have been given a goodbye gift in the form of a 20 per cent discount on in store buys until it officially shuts.
Next is strongly tipped to take over the unit once House of Fraser closes their store for good.
House of Fraser’s has decided to keep its Darlington branch open however amid questions over its future earlier this year.
A spokesperson from the retailer said: “We’re pleased to confirm that House of Fraser Darlington will remain open and is operating business as usual.
“We’re looking forward to continuing to welcome our valued customers to this location.”
It comes after a number of the department store’s shops have dramatically closed down in recent years.
House of Fraser was saved from collapse by billionaire businessman Mike Ashley back in 2018.
But while the deal saved the chain’s 59 stores and 17,000 workers who were facing the axe many more stores have closed in recent years.
Today just 28 department stores remain with the closure of the Bluewater branch dropping this number even further.
Over the past few months, the chain has called time on several of its shops.
One in Cabot Circus shopping centre, Bristol, was gone in August
Birmingham, Cardiff and Guildford all saw closing down signs plastered across the windows.
Shoppers were rushing to the sales as the branches prepared to shut for good.
Last autumn, Frasers Group chief executive, Michael Murray, described House of Fraser as a “broken business” and said it is likely to “diminish”.
Mr Murray added that the group’s strategy was to break away from the traditional operating model of operating department stores.
He told The Telegraph: “We’ve completely changed the operating model.
“It was mostly concession, the stores were way too big, and they were under-invested.
“Our future vision is that House of Fraser will diminish and Frasers will grow.”
It’s not just House of Fraser shops shutting, other Frasers Group chains have been decreasing their store numbers too.
Frasers announced plans to close down a popular fashion chain USC’s branch in Stoke-on-Trent this summer.
The firm also shut a USC branch in Stockton-on-Tees in December last year after launching a closing down sale.
And House of Fraser, also owned by Frasers Group, closed its store in Carlisle in May.
A Flannels site – also under Frasers – in Bolton, closed for the final time in the new year.
And MatchesFashion – an online fashion website – fell into administration in March this year before shutting down forever in June.
But it has opened new stores across the UK as well.
Shoppers have been visiting their “new concept” stores which sell brands from across the group including Sports Direct and Jack Wills.
EMPTY shops have become an eyesore on many British high streets and are often symbolic of a town centre’s decline.
The Sun’s business editor Ashley Armstrong explains why so many retailers are shutting their doors.
In many cases, retailers are shutting stores because they are no longer the money-makers they once were because of the rise of online shopping.
Falling store sales and rising staff costs have made it even more expensive for shops to stay open. In some cases, retailers are shutting a store and reopening a new shop at the other end of a high street to reflect how a town has changed.
The problem is that when a big shop closes, footfall falls across the local high street, which puts more shops at risk of closing.
Retail parks are increasingly popular with shoppers, who want to be able to get easy, free parking at a time when local councils have hiked parking charges in towns.
Many retailers including Next and Marks & Spencer have been shutting stores on the high street and taking bigger stores in better-performing retail parks instead.
Boss Stuart Machin recently said that when it relocated a tired store in Chesterfield to a new big store in a retail park half a mile away, its sales in the area rose by 103 per cent.
In some cases, stores have been shut when a retailer goes bust, as in the case of Wilko, Debenhams Topshop, Dorothy Perkins and Paperchase to name a few.
What’s increasingly common is when a chain goes bust a rival retailer or private equity firm snaps up the intellectual property rights so they can own the brand and sell it online.
They may go on to open a handful of stores if there is customer demand, but there are rarely ever as many stores or in the same places.
NO ONE wants to leave a beloved family member behind when they go away on holiday – and although many hotels will accommodate dogs, some make them more welcome than others.
Luckily, The Good Hotel Guide 2025 has just been released online with some top properties for pooches.
We asked the editors to name six of the best places for a night away with a four-legged friend . . .
Kirkby Lonsdale, Cumbria
THE owners, staff and Bruce the spaniel are delighted to welcome dogs to this whitewashed 16th century inn, in a market town between the Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales.
The cosy bar – with low beams and log burner – as well as a part of the restaurant, are entirely dog friendly, as are most of the rustic-chic bedrooms.
They charge £20 per stay for one dog and £30 for two, for which you get a Pooch Pack of towel, bowl and treats, a trail map and an outdoor shower.
The food is hearty pub grub – just the job after a day’s walk on the wild side.
GO: B&B doubles cost from £115. See sun-inn.info.
Chagford, Devon
YOUR dog has the run of Dartmoor at this country house hotel, a former flour mill with the River Teign flowing through the grounds.
Certain public rooms and two bar tables, the gardens, exercise paddock and a number of the smart bedrooms are dog-friendly.
For a nightly charge of £12, canine guests can look forward to a goodie box and a breakfast sausage, while water bowls, spare leads and walking maps are available on request.
Washing facilities and towels are also provided.
Visitors praise the ambience, the cheery, efficient service, well-equipped rooms and nightly changing menus of locally-sourced dishes.
GO: B&B doubles cost from £160. See millendhotel.com.
Bradford-on-Avon, Wilts
NOT only can dogs look forward to a sausage at breakfast, they can even host a doggy birthday party at Nick and Charlotte Dent’s eccentric Georgian farmhouse, filled with upcycled paraphernalia and old agricultural equipment.
Doggy afternoon tea is £10.50 and includes a tennis ball to take home.
Although a sleepover will cost £20 for a furry friend, the rustic-chic bedrooms are nice and affordable for their accompanying people, and the charge includes an accessories-filled tote, ball, treats and walking maps.
The Kitchen Restaurant is the one canine no-go area, but the same farmhouse cuisine is available in the conservatory.
GO: B&B doubles cost from £91. See widbrookgrange.co.uk.
Beaulieu, Hants
IN a charming village roamed by free-ranging ponies and donkeys, and with that great adventure playground the New Forest on the doorstep, this arts and crafts-style hotel is great for families.
Dogs are welcome in selected snug rooms, where a charge of £35 a night secures a Beco Pets hamper, bed and bowls.
There is also pet-friendly dining in the hotel’s Monty’s Inn.
The pricier panelled Terrace Restaurant is for humans only, but who needs tempura lemon sole when you can chow down on good old fish and chips with your furry pal at your side?
GO: B&B doubles cost from £200. See montaguarmshotel.co.uk.
Bolton Abbey, North Yorks
A 17th-century inn on the Duke of Devonshire’s vast estate is today a luxury country house hotel, where posh pooches to the manner born can command a four-poster dog bed for £50.
Otherwise, it is £15 per dog per night to stay in one of the designated bedrooms.
Apart from the spa and fine-dining restaurant, all public areas are dog-friendly, including the brasserie.
New Canine Retreat packages include welcome treats, a Canine Delights menu with doggy wine or beer if desired, and a hot outdoor dog bath for mucky pups.
Dales, fells, woods and riverside walks beckon.
GO: B&B doubles cost from £260. See devonshirehotels.co.uk.
Peebles, Scottish Borders
YOU may pay quite a bit for a room at the Victorian Scottish baronial hotel, on a 28-acre estate, but Fido gets to stay for nothing – and is presented with a goodie bag.
Dogs allowed in all but two bedrooms and, though they are barred from the restaurant and Maguire Lounge, they can join you at a table in the bar.
The gently rolling Borders countryside makes for great walks.
GO: B&B doubles cost from £340. See cringletie.com.
FANS of I’m A Celebrity have spotted how there is a missing part of the show, with many pleading for it to be reintroduced.
The iconic ITV show made a triumphant return last weekend, with a selection of famous faces uniting in the Australian jungle in the name of reality TV.
But fans have noticed that a fan-favourite part of the show is missing and has been since the show began on Sunday.
On Reddit, fans have spotted how the celebrities in this year’s series are yet to do a proper eating trial.
“We’ve now had 4 trails and none of them have been an eating trail, just seems kinda strange as there is usually one in the first 4 or so,” said one person.
Another agreed, “Yeah all they have had is confined space trials this year.”
“They’re probably so desperate for a bit of animal protein thanks to Dean they’d probably wolf down whatever was put in front of them without thinking too much,” said a third.
A fourth then penned, “Has it only been like 4 days, and it started with a gross milkshake,” referring to the disgusting shake the celebrities were given when they arrived.
While a fifth said, “Eating trials seem to be quite popular. They maybe waiting for the right time. I’m guessing Saturday to help gain the viewers maybe?”
And a sixth added, “I’m glad. I think they are the most boring.”
Meanwhile, on X, formerly known as Twitter, fans are also questioning when an eating trial might take place.
“Me patiently waiting for the eating trial,” said one, along with a meme.
“We can’t be far away from the eating trial??” asked a second.
And a third echoed, “Why no eating trial yet?”
This comes after two new arrivals joined the 2024 lineup of the beloved show.
Last night, former Love Island star Maura Higgins entered the jungle with Reverand Richard Coles.
i'm A Celebrity is back for its 24th series, with a batch of famous faces living in the Aussie jungle. The Sun's Jake Penkethman takes a look at the stars on the show this year..
Coleen Rooney – Arguably the most famous name in the camp, the leading WAG, known for her marriage to Wayne Rooney, has made a grand return to TV as she looks to put the Wagatha Christie scandal behind her. The Sun revealed the mum-of-four had bagged an eye-watering deal worth over £1.5million to be on the show this year making her the highest-paid contestant ever.
Tulisa – The popstar and former X Factor judge has made her triumphant TV comeback by signing up to this year’s I’m A Celeb after shunning TV shows for many years. Known for being a member of the trio, N-Dubz, Tulisa became a household name back in 2011 when she signed on to replace Cheryl on ITV show The X Factor in a multi-million pound deal.
Alan Halsall – The actor, known for playing the long-running role of Tyrone Dobbs on ITV soap opera Coronation Street, was originally signed up to head Down Under last year but an operation threw his scheduled appearance off-course. Now he has become the latest Corrie star to win over both the viewers and his fellow celebrities.
Melvin Odoom – The Radio DJ has become a regular face on TV screens after rising to fame with presenting roles on Kiss FM, BBC Radio 1 and 4Music. Melvin has already been for a spin on the Strictly dancefloor and co-hosted The Xtra Factor with Rochelle Humes in 2015 but now he is facing up to his biggest challenge yet – the Aussie jungle.
GK Barry – The UK’s biggest social media personality, GK, whose real name is Grace Keeling, has transformed her TikTok stardom into a lucrative career. Aside from her popular social media channels, she hosts the weekly podcast, Saving Grace, and regularly appears on ITV talk show, Loose Women. She has even gone on to endorse popular brands such as PrettyLittleThing, KFC and Ann Summers.
Dean McCullough – A rising star amongst this year’s bunch of celebs, Dean first achieved notability through his radio appearances on Gaydio and BBC Radio 1. He was chosen to join the BBC station permanently in 2021 and has featured prominently ever since. He has enjoyed a crossover to ITV over the past year thanks to his guest slots on Big Brother spin-off show, Late & Live.
Oti Mabuse – The pro dancer has signed up to her latest TV show after making her way through the biggest programmes on the box. She originally found fame on Strictly Come Dancing but has since branched out into the world of TV judging with appearances on former BBC show The Greatest Dancer as well as her current role on ITV’s Dancing On Ice.
Danny Jones – The McFly star was drafted into the programme last minute as a replacement for Tommy Fury. Danny is the second member of McFly to enter the jungle, after Dougie Poynter won the show in 2011. He is also considered a rising star on ITV as he’s now one of the mentors on their Saturday night talent show, The Voice, along with bandmate Tom Fletcher.
Jane Moore – The Loose Women star and The Sun columnist is braving the creepy crawlies this year. The star is ready for a new challenge – having recently split from her husband. It will be Jane’s first foray into reality TV with the telly favourite having always said no to reality shows in the past.
Barry McGuigan – Former pro boxer Barry is the latest fighting champ to head Down Under following in the footsteps of Tony Bellew and Amir Khan. It comes after a tough few years for Irish star Barry, who lost his daughter Danika to bowel cancer. He told The Late Late Show in 2021: “She was such an intrinsic part of the family that every day we ache.”
Maura Higgins – The Irish TV beauty first found fame on Love Island where she found a brief connection with dancer Curtis Pritchard. Since then, she has competed on Dancing On Ice as well as hosting the Irish version of the beauty contest, Glow Up. Since last year, she has been working on building up her career in the US by being the social media correspondent and host of Aftersun to accompany Love Island USA. She even guest hosted an episode of the spin-off, Love Island Games, in place of Maya Jama last year.
Rev. Richard Coles – Former BBC radio host the Rev Richard Coles is a late arrival on I’m A Celebrity, and he’s ready to spill the beans on his former employer. The former Communards and Strictly star, said the BBC did not know its a**e from its elbow last year. An insider said: “Rev Coles will have a variety of tales to tell from his wild days as a pop star in the Eighties, through to performing on Strictly and his later life as a man of the cloth.”
When they arrived, the duo was thrown straight into the Jungle Junkyard – which may have looked disgusting, but actually had hidden advantages.
When Maura arrived at the camp, she was fuming over the living conditions.
“It’s not liveable, we have nothing, this camp sucks,” she fumed after seeing the camp for the first time.
She then added, “I’m going to ask Richard to say a prayer for us tonight because I’m gonna need one.”
TESCO has revealed plans to open 150 new locations over the next three years in a convenience store blitz.
The Tesco Express expansion will create more than 2,000 jobs, while some stores will benefit from longer opening hours.
The majority of sites will run from 7am to 11pm, but the supermarket giant is aiming to have some open from 6am to midnight.
Kevin Tindall, managing director at Tesco UK, said the chain had signed leases for many of the new shops, but that they were looking at housing estates, new-build tower blocks and high streets with a lot of footfall.
The news came as Britain’s biggest grocer yesterday marked the 30th anniversary of Tesco Express by opening a shop in Burnt Oak, North London — on the same street the very first Tesco was set up in 1929.
Tesco this week cut prices on 200 everyday items such as bread, milk, and chicken in its Express stores, and continues to offer Clubcard discounts.
But it does not offer its Aldi Price Match in the convenience shops.
Critics including Which? have argued customers at smaller shops are disadvantaged by the higher prices.
But Mr Tindall explained that most smaller stores charge a premium as they are hit harder by costs, especially in London where rents are high.
And he said Tesco was continuing to create jobs despite the “challenges of extra costs from the Budget”.
There are now 2,074 Tesco Express stores and 808 larger superstores.
Rivals Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, and Asda have also committed to opening new locations.
GAMES WORKSHOP, the maker of fantasy miniature figurines and the Warhammer franchise, is nudging its way into the FTSE 100 after its shares rocketed to a record high yesterday.
The niche hobby business is now valued at £4.5billion, more than B&M Bargains or Sports Direct owner Frasers Group.
Its shares yesterday rose 17 per cent to £137.90 each after a brief statement that its profits would beat forecasts of £120million.
Shares have risen by 38.5 per cent in the past year.
GOOD WEEK: RYAN McDonnell, boss of LIDL, the fastest-growing supermarket, which has returned to profit after the cost-of-living crisis.
BAD WEEK: ADRIAN Mardell, boss of JAGUAR, criticised for a ridiculous rebrand and its new advert that does not feature a car.
The Iowa football program is losing another player, this time one of their defensive stars, Jermari Harris. The sixth-season cornerback has opted out of the remainder of the season to prepare for the NFL 2025 draft, sources told HawkeyeInsider.com and 247Sports. Harris opted to return for a sixth season of eligibility. He’s been Iowa football’s […]
The post Iowa football CB ends season to prepare for NFL Draft appeared first on ClutchPoints.
Salma Hayek is a popular actress who has starred in a couple of blockbuster movies, and Hayek appears in Netflix’s Black Mirror series. She is an Oscar Award-nominated actress. Given Hayek’s accomplishments on the big screens, have you ever wondered what kind of cars she drives? Well, wonder no more. Here is Salma Hayek’s incredible […]
The post Check out Salma Hayek’s incredible $437K car collection, with photos appeared first on ClutchPoints.