Metrocentre's House of Fraser to close
The Gateshead store will be closed in 2019, following Sports Direct's takeover of the high street giant
Last updated 14th Nov 2018
It's been announced that the House of Fraser in Gateshead's intuMetrocentre will close in 2019.
Staff were reportedly told the news this morning - it's one of four stores closing, following the high street giant's takeover by Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley's Sports Direct.
A spokesperson for Sports Direct said:
"It is with regret that House of Fraser today announces that the following stores are facing closure: Lakeside, Metrocentre, Norwich, and Nottingham.
"We had various meetings with the landlord, Intu Properties plc, and adopted a flexible approach. Despite our best efforts we have been unable to agree reasonable terms for these stores to continue trading. Sadly, we are now in consultation with staff about the fact these stores face closure. We hope other institutional landlords will continue to work with us in order to save stores and jobs.
Mike Ashley commented:
“We had multiple meetings with Intu, but we were no further forward after 14 weeks. Unfortunately, these stores now face closing in the New Year. I urge other institutional landlords to be more proactive to help save the HoF stores in their schemes."
A spokesperson for intu Metrocentre said:
“We have been advised today that the House of Fraser at intu Metrocentre will be closing next year as part of their national stores review. We have had a number of meetings with SportsDirect to try to agree terms. While we cannot discuss the detail, we have not been able to reach an agreement.
“There’s a lot going on at the centre and our plans mean that we have a number of exciting new brands currently in negotiations to take their first stores at intu Metrocentre whilst others are looking at their existing stores to make sure they are making the most of their presence in the centre. We’re sure that this investment will create new jobs.
“We also believe there is a real opportunity to reuse this space for new and exciting alternatives. We have a strong track record of doing just that and have some great ideas on the table including other big retail brands but also non-traditional shopping centre uses.
“Our teams continually look at options that will create the right mix of retail and leisure to meet the needs of our customers, giving them a great experience and even more reasons to shop with us."