80 jobs to be lost as Shrewsbury's House of Fraser store to close

The news, confirmed on Monday by Shropshire Council, means the county will be left with only one store following August's announcement that the Telford branch was getting a reprieve.

Uncertainty has surrounded the future of Shrewsbury's high street store – more than a month after the £90 million takeover of its parent company House of Fraser.

The retail chain went bust with debts of nearly £1 billion and was bought out of administration by Mike Ashley and his Sports Direct empire. Despite threats to close stores because of clashes with ‘greedy’ landlords since the takeover, Mr Ashley’s team has confirmed about 20 of 59 will stay open, including Telford.

Confirmation of the Shrewsbury's store closure was made by Shropshire Council which said it was disappointed with the decision. It is believed the store could close on January 2.

Sports Direct has yet to confirm the closure but Nic Laurens, Shropshire Council’s cabinet member for economic growth, said: “We were saddened that this store will now definitely close.

“We understand that this is an extremely difficult time for the staff who work at the store and we will continue to work with them to ensure that they are aware of the help and support available.

“We all know retail is undergoing extremely challenging and transformational times. We are working hard with our partners, including the Shropshire Business Board and Shrewsbury Business Improvement District (BID), to continue to grow the town.

“Shrewsbury has a lot to offer and is a place which visitors flock to, to experience its individuality and history, as well as its excellent shops and eateries. While many other high streets are in decline, we’re pleased that the town is bucking this trend and experiencing growth.”

It is believed staff were told of the store's closure on Friday.

Tears

One employee, who did not want to be named, said there had been tears from some workers when they were told the news.

They said: "We feel let down. We have all lost our jobs.

"We had a lot of tears here, a lot of people have lost their livelihood and they have bills to pay."

The worker said there were concerns from many about the prospect of finding new jobs.

They said: "Shrewsbury is a very small town and trying to find jobs in this climate is not easy."

The former Rackhams store in Shrewsbury High Street is one of the oldest shops in the town and underwent a major refurbishment less than two years ago.

The store, in a Tudor black and white building next door to the Unitarian Church, dates back to the Della Porta Department store which traded on the site from 1926. It was purchased by Hide & Co in 1948 but still traded as Della Porta.

In 1975 it was bought by House of Fraser, which rebranded it Rackhams, although it again now trades as House of Fraser.

A new cafe was opened, clothing departments were transformed and the interior was refitted when the shop was refurbished in the autumn of 2016.

Sports Direct has been approached for a comment.