House of Fraser to close in Solihull - what’s happening to the department store next?

The House of Fraser store in Mell Square, Solihull is set to shut its doors tomorrow (Monday, August 28) as a huge closing down sale ends.

Frasers Group plc - which owns House of Fraser - has confirmed that their store in Mell Square in the town centre will close on Bank Holiday Monday. Meanwhile Solihull Council has unveiled its plans for the site.

The House of Fraser retail giant - whose CEO is Walsall-born entrepreneur Mike Ashley - recently revealed they have bought a 5% stake in Boohoo and a 8.9% stake in Currys.

However, their flagship brand House of Fraser is going through a change. The news of House of Fraser’s closure in Solihull comes months after the Birmingham city centre store was turned into an outlet store. And several floors at the Sutton Coldfield store have been closed.

Solihull Council said the closure of House of Fraser in Mell Square was “disappointing but not an unexpected decision from Frasers Group”. The local authority added: “it presents a huge opportunity for a number of exciting plans.” A department store has been present in the House of Fraser building for decades. It was previously called Beatties.

Solihull Council to redevelop House of Fraser site

Solihull Council told BirminghamWorld: “The decision by Frasers Group to close their store means we can now look to redevelop this site.”

The council explained that the redevelopment of the site will be in line with their Solihull Town Centre Masterplan - a blueprint for future investment and development in the town centre over the next fifteen years.

According to the masterplan prospectus, the council seeks to redevelop Mell Square “to create a truly diverse mixed use space.” They hope to create a balance of residential, leisure and commercial use space as well as a high quality public realm scheme.

The council will announce the appointment of a preferred development partner -who will help them bring their vision to life - in the autumn. The council added: “We are committed to working with our other tenants to maximise and promote their business and as plans for redevelopment come forward they will be fully consulted.

“Solihull town centre continues to be a thriving place to live, work, visit and shop, consistently outperforming other local centres across the country both in terms of retail economy and in attracting investment. As the role of our town centres and high streets continues to evolve, we are determined to support this transition and play an active role in shaping the future of Solihull town centre.

“Solihull Council is taking a hands-on approach to ensure we are not just responsive to these changes but can get ahead of the curve and capitalise on the opportunities this presents. The plan has always been to bring this scheme forward in stages to align with when sites become available.”