Beatties will lose name in deal
Beatties department store is set to lose its name, bringing to an end 130 years of history in the West Midlands. Icelandic company Baugur made the announcement today as it completed a £351 million deal to take over Beatties' owner House of Fraser. Beatties department store is set to lose its name, bringing to an end 130 years of history in the West Midlands. Icelandic company Baugur made the announcement today. The move came as it completed a £351 million deal to take over Beatties' owner House of Fraser. Beatties, which has 12 stores including a branch in Telford, is likely to be known simply as House of Fraser. Baugur chief executive Asgeir Johannesson said research had found only Jenners, the Scottish chain bought by House of Fraser last year, had any resonance with shoppers. He said Beatties and other regional names such as Rackhams, Binns and Army & Navy would be consigned to history and replaced by House of Fraser. Read the full story in the Shropshire Star
The move came as it completed a £351 million deal to take over Beatties' owner House of Fraser.
Beatties, which has 12 stores including a branch in Telford, is likely to be known simply as House of Fraser.
Baugur chief executive Asgeir Johannesson said research had found only Jenners, the Scottish chain bought by House of Fraser last year, had any resonance with shoppers.
He said Beatties and other regional names such as Rackhams, Binns and Army & Navy would be consigned to history and replaced by House of Fraser.
Baugur launched a 100-day strategic review on the future of its stores following the takeover. Mr Johannesson, 38, said tens of millions of pounds would be pumped into modernising the House of Fraser chain, bringing in new American and Scandinavian brands, and reckoned it would take two years to turn the group around.
But he made it clear that part of that modernisation would be the use of the corporate name House of Fraser.
Telford MP David Wright said he didn't think the name change would have much of an impact on shoppers in Telford.
He said: "I don't think this is as big an issue in Telford as it clearly will be in Wolverhampton and Dudley, and I am sure that the company will continue its commitment to the three stores.
"Nevertheless, it is sad to see an old retail name disappearing from the high street."
Beatties, which also has stores in Solihull, Sutton Coldfield, Burton-on-Trent and Worcester, was founded by draper James Beattie in 1877.
