Or has House of Fraser really changed?

[CabbagePatchCheryl]

Not been in my local HOF much since the Sports Direct takeover but my DH went and said they were starting to mix some pretty random brands (Pierre Cardin, No Fear, is it the 90s again?) in the men’s section. I went in today and the Christmas bit, which is usually lovely and quite chic, is full of absolute tat in a big jumbly mess. Anyone else’s branch changed? I know I’m going to get called snobby here but I used to go in there for, well, not really luxury but at least a bit of nicely laid-out higher-end high street stuff. It was my happy place for a browse on my lunch hour.

Ours has changed. Lots of cheap suitcases and sports socks. Lots of their usual fragrances not in stock, one of the staff said they were having trouble getting suppliers to send product to them. I love a discount store as much as the next girl, but HoF isn't (wasn't?) a discount store!

Jo Malone in HOF Belfast has very little stock. Apparently Estee Lauder are owed a huge amount of money by bankrupt HOF and for some reason they aren't bringing stock in.... It is being suggested that the lovely Jo Malone staff are being sent to work in Brown Thomas in Dublin over Christmas.... (over 100 miles away) if that's the case over all the concessions you could see why it'd be looking a bit ropey!

The Guildford one has lost a couple of nicer concessions. Can't quite put my finger on it, it's just gone down.

I wouldn't step foot in a place that man owned anyway.

It's very sad as HoF was an institution in my city and I'll no longer use it.

Pierre Cardin and no fear are excess stock
From sports direct according to our Hof

Certainly about to change in my town! It was announced today that HoF store is to close in the Metro Centre in the new year. It was the flagship store of the centre.

Whether or not the inside has changed, I will not go in. The only good thing I can say about Mike Ashley is that Philip Green is worse.

Our HoF is now little more than an overflow dump for the huge SD next door. It’s grim as all fuck and I refuse to go in.

Yep grim is the right word. “Harrods of the high street” my eye. The man’s a twat.

My mum and I had a mooch through ours today. It's one of the ones definitely earmarked for closure and it shows. There are huge gaps everywhere, masses of the nice concessions have gone - a totally empty Clarins area really stood out on the ground floor - and the excess space is being used to sell discounted Sports Direct stock.
Mum and I both said we think today was our last visit to shop - we might shoot in for coffee but apart from that we're done. I just hope Ashley doesn't get the chance to do the same to Debenhams.

The one in the Metrocentre has gone very downhill. The staff on the MAC counter were sat twiddling their thumbs and had little/no stock. Was actually recommended to go to Fenwicks instead. I hope the HoF staff won’t all be losing their jobs weeks before Xmas though after today’s news...

It's just crappy sports direct by another name now. He took a good brand and instead of improving it he's turned it into the shit-shed of the highstreet already.

Mike Ashley is useless. He's an overgrown carboot knockoffs trader and he'll run his businesses in to the ground eventually.

Ours is closing in January according to signs, but the staff all assume they’ll be let go just before Christmas. It’s a horrid atmosphere for those that are left. All the concessions are pretty much empty and none of the companies are prepared to throw stock at a failing venture. We don’t even venture into the cafe now as it’s a cafe Nero and the coffee gives me a headache.

House of Fraser has certainly changed, all the sports Direct stock which doesn't feel like it fits in the store. The concessions can't get stock they need due to agreements not being reached. Some concessions closing completely for the same reason.
The shop floor staff are all unhappy and worried for their jobs, the management put a brave face on but it's easy to tell they are stressed.
Oh and apparently the stores are too clean so the cleaning hours got cut drastically meaning I lost my job, how can a supposedly high end store be too clean?

It's really sad. Ours was the heart of the high street. Had a great play area for kids and everything. It is going to leave a huge hole there when it goes, and the empty site will probably attract crime and vandalism. not to mention the jobs lost.

The one in Birmingham looks really run down and tired now. I think there are maybe the same stock issues there.

Ours is still ok but it is on the shortlist to close. The staff are noticeably ‘checking out’ though. It’s such a shame. It is/was a really well used and loved store.

Went in earlier this year to look for prom dresses, there seemed to be a lot of damaged stock & the place really felt like nobody cared about it. Certainly didn't feel like buying anything! Agree about random brands, everything seemed thrown together & generally rubbish. Won't be going back in a hurry.

Cannot believe that the Metro Centre store is closing. Surely it is a money spinner prime location?

The Meadowhall one still looks OK. I hope it stays that way. Also, mess with Kendals (or HoF Manchester, if you must) at your peril, Ashley.

Such a shame that he’s using a formerly nice chain to flog his cheap bloody sports socks.

It’s really sad! One of my friends is a buyer for HOF and they are sitting ducks in their jobs people being fired left right and centre. She has lost her contracts with so many brands because of the takeover. The Oxford st store is like a jumble sale.