Harvey Nichols’ Birmingham store to close in January
News Source
•Thu, 08 Oct 2026 17:18:09 GMT
📰 What Happened
Harvey Nichols' Birmingham store will close in January, costing at least 60 jobs. Its Leeds and Bristol stores will be rebranded as Flannels. The changes come under Mike Ashley's Frasers Group.
Frasers bought the department store chain for £43 million in mid-August, the day it went into administration. About 1,000 of its 1,200 UK jobs and six stores were saved in that deal. The chain also has stores abroad.
🔍 The Backstory
Harvey Nichols is a luxury department store chain based in London's Knightsbridge. At the time it went into administration, it owed about £100 million to creditors, including many fashion brands. Frasers is owned by retail tycoon Mike Ashley, founder of Sports Direct.
Ashley had said he would keep the London and Edinburgh stores. He planned to rebrand the others as House of Fraser or Flannels. The Birmingham closure and rebranding are now part of that plan.
🎯 Why It Matters
Store closures mean lost jobs and emptier high streets. They also reflect how shopping habits are shifting away from big department stores.
Harvey Nichols' Birmingham store will close in January, costing at least 60 jobs. Its Leeds and Bristol stores will be rebranded as Flannels. The changes come under Mike Ashley's Frasers Group.
Frasers bought the department store chain for £43 million in mid-August, the day it went into administration. About 1,000 of its 1,200 UK jobs and six stores were saved in that deal. The chain also has stores abroad.
Harvey Nichols is a luxury department store chain based in London's Knightsbridge. At the time it went into administration, it owed about £100 million to creditors, including many fashion brands. Frasers is owned by retail tycoon Mike Ashley, founder of Sports Direct.
Ashley had said he would keep the London and Edinburgh stores. He planned to rebrand the others as House of Fraser or Flannels. The Birmingham closure and rebranding are now part of that plan.
Store closures mean lost jobs and emptier high streets. They also reflect how shopping habits are shifting away from big department stores.