Home of Fraser will shut its flagship Oxford Avenue store completely in January.
The division retailer chain, which is owned by Sports activities Direct founder Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group, will shut the department subsequent 12 months after being served discover.
The proprietor of 318 Oxford Avenue, Public Properties Institution, has been given permission from Westminster Council for a £100million redevelopment that may embody a health club and pool, outlets, a number of flooring of workplace area and a high flooring restaurant with views throughout London.
In an announcement, Frasers warned of extra closures until the Authorities’s enterprise charges tax system is overhauled to assist the UK excessive avenue.
Home of Fraser is the third main UK retailer to shut or downsize on Oxford Avenue up to now 12 months amid the pandemic.
Debenhams shut after the chain went bust final 12 months, and Frasers’s neighbour John Lewis is in search of to transform a number of flooring into workplaces following a long-term hit to footfall. And final month, Ikea revealed it will take over the Topshop constructing on the Oxford Circus junction.
Folks sporting facemasks exterior Home of Fraser on Oxford Avenue in London
Home of Fraser will shut its flagship Oxford Avenue store completely in January
The division retailer chain, which is owned by Sports activities Direct founder Mike Ashley (pictured left), will shut the department subsequent 12 months after being served discover
318 Oxford Avenue was initially occupied by division retailer DH Evans, which merged with Home of Fraser. The constructing has been occupied by Home of Fraser for the reason that early 2000s.
Frasers purchased Home of Fraser for £90million in 2018 after it went into administration, however the retailer has struggled since. There have been 43 Home of Fraser outlets in August, down from 48 the 12 months earlier than.
A Frasers spokesman stated: ‘It’s with remorse that we now have been served discover by the owner to shut Home of Fraser, Oxford Avenue – following granted planning permission to redevelop the location.
‘We want to take this chance to thank our employees for his or her onerous work and dedication.’
The spokesman added: ‘Since buying in 2018, regardless of challenges confronted, we now have labored collaboratively with the owner to maintain the shop buying and selling 3 years longer than what was initially proposed by the earlier proprietor.’
Frasers additionally took goal on the Authorities’s enterprise charges system, a tax charged on the worth of a business constructing which retailers argue put them at a drawback to on-line rivals.
Retailers additionally declare constructing values are reviewed too slowly and go away them with unrealistic prices.
‘As a enterprise, who is constant to speculate considerably into the British excessive avenue, we really feel it is solely honest to recognise and request an pressing assessment of the present archaic enterprise charges, which proceed to be astonishingly outdated,’ the assertion stated.
‘If enterprise charges have been reviewed it will assist the way forward for Home of Fraser. With out this, additional retailer closures are inevitable.’
British excessive streets have taken a significant hit up to now two years in the course of the pandemic because the Authorities ordered outlets to shut and other people purchased items on-line to keep away from massive crowds once they reopened.
The drop was resulting from a fall in gross sales volumes in non-food shops, with lighting and furnishings companies the toughest hit, the Workplace for Nationwide Statistics stated.
Gross sales volumes in September have been down 0.2 per cent, following a 0.6 per cent fall in August, though they continue to be 4.2 per cent above pre-pandemic ranges in February 2020.
Gas gross sales rose within the ultimate weeks of September as panic shopping for led to many forecourts operating dry after suppliers stated the HGV driver scarcity was affecting deliveries. Gas gross sales rose 2.9 per cent.
Home of Fraser’s flagship Oxford Avenue division retailer closed in April 2020
An individual walks previous closed doorways on the closed down Debenhams retailer on Oxford Avenue
Meals gross sales volumes have been additionally up by 0.6 per cent, the ONS added, and stay 3.9 per cent above pre-Covid ranges.
However whereas buyers opted to keep away from excessive streets, gross sales on-line continued to rise and now account for 28.1 per cent of all spending – up from 27.9 per cent in August.
There was a specific surge in division retailer gross sales on-line, up by 3.8 per cent, that means almost 10p in each £1 spent on-line goes to the likes of John Lewis, Debenhams or Home of Fraser, the ONS stated.
By comparability, family items shops noticed a 3.6 per cent drop in on-line gross sales.
Darren Morgan, ONS director of financial statistics, stated: ‘Family items have been the principle driver of this month’s decline, with a fall of almost 10 per cent, whereas meals gross sales ticked again up after falling final month.
‘Petrol gross sales exceeded their pre-pandemic stage for the primary time, with filling stations reporting very robust gross sales over the past week of September.
‘Regardless of the lifting of restrictions, in-store retail gross sales stay subdued, with many shoppers nonetheless opting to buy on-line.’
Retail chiefs laid the blame on the doorstep of Authorities and urged ministers to search out methods to scale back the problems with provide chains and excessive vitality prices.
Helen Dickinson, chief government of the British Retail Consortium, stated: ‘Retailers will probably be involved by the droop in gross sales, simply as they start their preparations for the all-important Christmas interval.
‘Gas shortages, moist climate and low shopper confidence all contributed to decrease shopper demand this month, with family items, furnishings and books all hit significantly onerous.’
She added: ‘For the sake of the UK’s financial restoration, it’s critical that retail gross sales bounce again as we close to the festive season.
‘Labour shortages throughout the availability chains, on farms, factories, warehouses and lorry drivers, all threaten to derail this restoration and it is important that Authorities finds a long-term resolution to this downside.’
Trying ahead, commentators stated the remainder of the 12 months may see conventional festive buying patterns shift on account of the issues.
Silvia Rindone, EY UK and Eire retail professional, stated: ‘Over latest years, buyers have tended to attend till late December to purchase for Christmas within the hope of bagging some nice bargains.
‘Nevertheless this 12 months, with information of provide chain disruption and provide issues for key merchandise, buyers are prone to pull ahead their non-perishable Christmas spending into October and November to ensure they get what they need.’