The closure of House of Fraser Birmingham will leave a 'massive hole' in the city centre, says a nearby retailer.

At nearly half a million square foot of space, it is the biggest House of Fraser outside of London.

But now it is set to close in early 2019, along with 30 other stores.

Sims Footwear in the Great Western Arcade, Birmingham
Sims Footwear in the Great Western Arcade, Birmingham

"It will leave a massive hole in the city," said Paul Lamb, who has run Sims Footwear at Great Western Arcade since 1998.

"House of Fraser was an anchor for this side of town.

"It's very sad because it feels like the final bastion of retail has finally gone.

"If it's just down to property costs, it's ludicrous that they've not managed to agree on a deal.

"I'm surprised no-one from Birmingham City Council has approached House of Fraser about it, it's really sad.

"I see the Manchester store isn't closing, that really galls me."

Paul Lamb at Sims Footwear

Paul says the area around Corporation Street already feels forgotten by the council - and that it might get worse once House of Fraser closes.

"It's bound to affect footfall for us and other retailers, it's a concern for all of us," said Paul, whose boutique is one of the oldest in Great Western Arcade.

"We feel like we've been hung out to dry.

"There's not been any spending in this area by the council and there's not really a cohesive plan, just lots of talk and no much to show for it."

Sims Footwear

He believes a lot of the focus is around Bullring rather than other parts of the city.

"Everything is designed and laid out around Bullring," said Paul, whose shop is the only independent shoe shop in Birmingham city centre.

"Bullring is great and does what it does, but it's a shame for the rest of the city centre.

"This whole area feels forgotten about.

"We'll just have to wait and see what happens.

"I doubt they'll find another retailer to jump into that space in the present climate so it will have to be carved into something else."

Great Western Arcade centre manager James Roberts is confident the shops there will weather the storm.

He said: “With Great Western Arcade near to full occupancy, we believe the extensive offering of independent retailers will continue to capture the imagination of our visitors once House of Fraser closes, as well as filling the void of what its concessions previously provided.

"We’re situated in a prime location in Birmingham, in close proximity to Snow Hill railway station and the business district, so we are confident that the arcade will remain a busy and popular destination.”

Great Western Arcade

Richard Norgrove, Chair, Retail BID Birmingham, added: “Retail BID is naturally disappointed to be losing one of the city’s major department stores.

"We will be working with the local management team at House of Fraser to see how we can help the affected staff into new roles with other retailers in the city centre.

“Going forward, we will be discussing with the owners and Birmingham City Council the future plans for the building after the store’s planned closure in early 2019, particularly given the recent investment in the new Midland Metro along Corporation Street.”

Up to 6,000 jobs are under threat as a result of House of Fraser's announcement that it is closing 31 of its 59 stores as part of a rescue plan to save the troubled chain.

Planned closures include its Oxford Street store in London plus stores in Leamington Spa, Shrewsbury, Telford, Wolverhampton and Worcester.

The store is closing to save the business money - last year it lost £44 million.

We spoke to shoppers about the closure of their local store and many said they had never been into the shop, or went in rarely, so the news wasn’t a surprise .

Full list of stores closing

The firm has announced it has "identified for closure" shops in Altrincham, Aylesbury, Birkenhead, Birmingham, Bournemouth, Camberley, Cardiff, Carlisle, Chichester, Cirencester, Cwmbran, Darlington, Doncaster, Edinburgh Frasers, Epsom, Grimsby, High Wycombe, Hull, Leamington Spa, Lincoln, London Oxford Street, London King William Street, Middlesbrough, Milton Keynes, Plymouth, Shrewsbury, Skipton, Swindon, Telford, Wolverhampton, Worcester.

The nearest stores remaining open near Birmingham will include Sutton Coldfield, Cheltenham and Nottingham.

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