The last remaining House of Fraser store in the North East, in Darlington's iconic Binns building, is set to close later this year.
From a war of words, to company restructuring, the region's House of Fraser stores have closed for a multitude of reasons.
Following news that the Darlington store would close, the loss of Binns represents the closure of the final store of the chain in the North East.
Sunderland
The store in Sunderland closed in 1993. Once a location for Binns, the store was acquired by House of Fraser in the 1950s, but closed its Wearside branch in the 1990s.
South Shields
A similar story follows with House of Fraser's South Shields branch, which also closed in the 1990s. During a review of its operations, House of Fraser closed the store in the seaside town in 1995.
Metrocentre
The store in Gateshead's Metrocentre closed in 2021 as owner Mike Ashley hit out at the venue's landlord for being unwilling to reduce rent. Landlords Intu said they had been unable to reach an agreement with Mr Ashley.
Middlesbrough
House of Fraser in Middlesbrough closed more recently, in 2022. The shop, on Linthorpe Road, had closed in 2018 but was reopened briefly when former Newcastle United owner Mr Ashley bought the company.
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Darlington
The last remaining House of Fraser store in the North East is Darlington's Binns site. On Thursday it was confirmed that the store would close in December this year, due to the landlord's decision to terminate the lease.
The retail chain - which has been in Darlington since August 1922 - thanked staff for their "hard work and dedication" when announcing the news today (Thursday, September 19).
Closing down signs can be seen on the windows of the store, with some items now 20 per cent off their full price.
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