House of Fraser’s Manchester Kendal store to close

House of Fraser has confirmed the closure of its flagship Kendals department store in Manchester, after rescue talks with landlords broke down.

The store located in Deansgate is expected to close in early 2019, with around 160 staff expected to lose their jobs.

A spokesman for House of Fraser said: “We have suggested various options to the landlord that would have enabled us to save the store in Manchester. Sadly, these have been declined. We are now in consultation with staff about the fact that the store faces closure in the New Year.”

The building has been open since 1832 and Manchester City Council leader Richard Leese said the council will “do everything it can to get this decision reversed”.

Members of the public also expressed their disappointment over the closure. 

Manchester without Kendals is unthinkable. Huge – and devastating – news.

— Simon Binns (@simonbinns) October 19, 2018

Kendals is an institution in Manchester. To see it go would be a very sad loss for the city. Our family has a long relationship with store from the days when my father had Figaro barber shop in the basement to the first ever Cicchetti restaurant.

— Marcello Distefano (@MarcelloMGD) October 19, 2018

Sad to hear Manchester @houseoffraser is closing down. One of my favourite shops and where I had my first Father Christmas visit all those years ago #kendals

— Anna Scholes (@aescholes) October 22, 2018

The news comes after Sports Direct earlier this month announced it had dismissed the entire management and executive team of House of Fraser following the department store’s collapse and subsequent takeover by Mike Ashley.