Now House of Fraser loses Woollen Mill concessions

EDINBURGH Woollen Mill has pulled all its concessions from house of Fraser after the department store was bought by Sports Direct tycoon Mike Ashley for £90m.

The retailer, owned by billionaire Philip Day, 52, is removing brands such as berwin & berwin, Jaeger, Jane Norman and Calvetron brands from house of Fraser, according to trade magazine Drapers.

It comes after Day’s £100m bid for house of Fraser was snubbed in favour of Ashley last month.

Edinburgh Woollen Mill’s concessions trade in 30 of house of Fraser’s 59 stores. It is understood to have put trading on hold as negotiations continue over money owed to Day’s empire, thought to be more than £3m. As part of Ashley’s deal with house of Fraser, the billionaire is not obliged to take on any of its debts.

A memo to Edinburgh Woollen Mill staff across the concessions instructed them to stop trading, rope off their areas and remove stock from display.

The email said: ‘A member of staff must remain on the department at all times to ensure that no goods/ products are sold.’

both companies declined to comment.