Department store chain House of Fraser is to close 31 of its 59 shops, affecting 6,000 jobs, as part of a rescue deal. If the plan is approved, 2,000 House of Fraser jobs will go, along with 4,000 brand and concession roles. The stores scheduled for closure, which include its flagship London Oxford Street store, will stay open until early 2019, House of Fraser said. The firm's boss said the decision to close stores was "as tough as it gets". Speaking to the BBC, House of Fraser chief executive Alex Williamson described the move as "brutal", adding "we have not taken this decision lightly". "It is very dramatic for people that we care about a great deal," he said. "I find it personally very emotional, and I am not making this decision based on anything other than what I consider to be absolutely the best option for House of Fraser and all of our stakeholders." It's been struggling for a long time. And in the last year, the increasingly tough conditions on the High Street has exposed its weaknesses, with the result that its problems have finally come to a head.
