Frasers Group, under the control of retail tycoon Mike Ashley, is pushing forward with the expansion of its new Frasers department store concept while phasing out the House of Fraser brand. The group, which rebranded House of Fraser’s website last month, has now opened its 13th Frasers store in Sheffield’s Meadowhall Shopping Centre.
At 100,000 square feet, the new Meadowhall store is one of the largest Frasers outlets to date and occupies the former Debenhams unit. David Epstein, Frasers Group’s managing director of luxury and premium, considers the store a prime example of the company’s strategy to modernise department store retailing.
“We inherited an outdated model with House of Fraser,” Epstein explained. “Department stores globally are struggling, so we had to rethink regional retail completely. Frasers offers a modern, elevated shopping experience that consumers really enjoy, and this store proves the model works.”
The Meadowhall store exemplifies Frasers’ reimagined retail format, showcasing a diverse range of men’s, women’s, and children’s clothing, beauty products, and footwear. Featured brands include well-known names like Boss, Barbour, Coach, and Ugg, alongside up-and-coming labels such as Never Fully Dressed and Nobody’s Child. Epstein points out the store’s flexibility, with branded spaces, digital elements, and pop-up spaces to keep the shopping experience fresh.
Coexisting with Flannels
Notably, the new Frasers store sits just 300 yards from the group’s existing Flannels flagship, which opened in 2021. However, Epstein is confident that the two stores won’t compete for the same customers. “Flannels caters to a younger, aspirational luxury market, while Frasers has a broader audience,” he explained.
This distinction influenced the decision to limit the beauty section in the new Frasers store, as the Flannels store already features one of the largest beauty halls in the country. Instead, Frasers Meadowhall has devoted significant space to its largest home department yet, a concept built around the group’s Sofa.com business.
“House of Fraser used to rent out its top floors to other companies for homewares,” Epstein said. “Now, we’re creating a more meaningful experience, with everything from rugs to lighting for sale, powered by Sofa.com.”
Sports Direct and USC Presence
The new store also features a 55,000-square-foot Sports Direct on its second floor, integrating the group’s flagship sports retailer into the Frasers concept. The space includes a Nike Football department, a bike workshop from Evans Cycles, and gaming accessories from Game. The group’s managing director of sport, Ger Wright, noted that the Sheffield store has replaced a smaller Sports Direct in the same shopping centre, adding 20,000 square feet of retail space.
“Sports Direct has introduced 11 new brands in the past year and a half,” Wright said, with recognisable names like Nike and Adidas sharing space with outdoor-focused brands such as North Face, Columbia, and Salomon.
Additionally, for the first time, the group’s USC brand, previously housed on the second floor, has been relocated to the ground floor, creating a more seamless shopping journey.
The End of House of Fraser
Frasers Group has been gradually closing House of Fraser stores over the past six years, either converting them into Frasers or Flannels outlets or vacating the spaces altogether. From the 59 stores Frasers Group inherited when it acquired House of Fraser in 2018, only 14 remain open today. Upcoming closures include branches in Darlington and Bluewater, while several new Frasers stores are set to open, including one in Kent’s Fremlin Walk.
Epstein confirmed that the group plans to maintain a total of 20 to 30 Frasers stores across the UK, with a focus on regional locations. The rebranding of House of Fraser’s website to Frasers.com marks a significant step in aligning the group’s online and in-store presence.
“The tipping point came when we opened enough stores to rebrand online,” Epstein said. “Now, we’re in a position to clearly communicate our vision and strategy for Frasers.”
With its latest store openings, Frasers Group is positioning itself as a key player in the future of UK department stores, aiming to offer a modern retail experience in a rapidly evolving landscape.
