House of Fraser Swindon to remain open

Following a spate of recent closures, it’s been confirmed that the House of Fraser in Swindon will remain open after Sports Direct owner Mike Ashley came to an agreement with the store’s landlord, FI Real Estate Management (FIREM).

The news comes just a week after four more House of Fraser stores were confirmed to be closing.

Commenting on the news in a statement, a spokesperson for FIREM said: “There has been understandable concern about the future of House of Fraser and we are delighted to have agreed commercially viable terms that permit its continued presence at the Brunel.

“The determination of both parties to secure agreeable terms was fuelled by the knowledge of how pivotal this store is to the local economy and the people who live and work here. We look forward to working with the new management team to ensure the future success of the store.”

When Sports Direct acquired House of Fraser for 90 million pounds in August, Ashley announced he would aim to keep 80 percent of House of Fraser stores open - 47 of the 59 stores.