House of Fraser Marches Forward

Date Posted: 21 August 2008

Some companies refuse to believe that consumers keep their purse closed. House of Fraser reported sales growth of 2.9% for the six months to 26th July, announcing an extensive makeover of its stores along with rolling out new designer brands. Anya Hindmarch, the designer behind the popular ‘I am not a plastic bag’ linen handbag, is just one of the names that House of Fraser will offer. Chief executive John King said he is trying to position the company at the higher end of the retail market.

According to the Financial Times, the Icelandic retail giant Baugur, who is House of Fraser’s biggest shareholder, has tried to acquire Debenhams in the UK and Saks in the US, signaling a firm financial backing for House of Fraser.

On BrandIndex, ‘Buzz’ saw a minor uplift from 1% to 4% but after the 16th August, the score dripped slightly.

General Impression for the brand changed little, with scores consistently between 20%-23%. House of Fraser’s Quality scores improved from 21% to 27% by the 15th of August, but fell back to 22% a few days later.

Despite this, the mindshare of both General and Quality scores remained in a strong, stable position through July and August, suggesting that the retailer enjoys the appreciation of consumers.

Agi Zabo, BrandIndex Research Executive

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