Excitement and wonder

RLI talks to Peter Horrix, Director of Store Development with House of Fraser, about the chain’s current expansion and refurbishment programme, and the importance of a continually evolving design ethic in the quest for ultimate customer satisfaction
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Internationally-renowned model Yasmin Le Bon officially cut the ribbon to welcome shoppers to House of Fraser’s newest and largest store in Victoria Square, Belfast. Le Bon and General Manager Gary Slattery were joined by Joan Laughlin, a service user of Action Cancer, the official charity of House of Fraser Belfast.

The 200,000sq ft anchor store at the much-anticipated centre has seven levels and offers over 500 brands under one roof — including the world-famous Hamleys toy store and many more firsts for Northern Ireland, such as beauty legends Crème de la Mer, Prescriptives, Sisley and Laura Mercier as well fashion from All Saints, Joseph, Ghost and own brands, Linea, Therapy and Untold. Sumptuous lingerie from Agent Provocateur and La Perla will wow both ladies and gents and a personal shopping service for both ladies and men will add to the luxurious fashion offer.

In homeware, The White Company comes to Northern Ireland for the first time whilst foodies will appreciate the Oyster Bar on the lower ground floor, as well as a top-floor restaurant, Bá Mizu, featuring a large terrace overlooking the Lagan and the city beyond, which will also operate after shopping hours.
“From an early stage of development, we saw the potential for a rooftop restaurant, having tried the concept previously at other stores,” says Peter Horrix, Director of Store Development. “Following our experiences at Dundrum, it seemed natural that we approach the same operator to develop a unique premium bar and restaurant offering in a setting and environment that represents the commercial opportunities of Belfast.

“Consistent with our aim to create a premium offering, and as a parallel opportunity, we have also installed a Champagne Oyster Bar on the ground floor and are trialling the concept to see how it is received.”

House of Fraser has long been one of the best-known names on the high street, home to many of the world’s most famous labels. With 61 stores in enviable locations across the UK and Ireland, House of Fraser has presented customers with an unrivalled offer for over 150 years. The brand is now in an exciting new chapter in its history — a period of significant investment and change across all aspects of the business.
RLI caught up with Horrix at the Belfast opening to find more about the thinking behind the brands new openings.

“Long before I joined the business there has been a desire for House of Fraser to be represented in Belfast; the city provides a major shopping opportunity for a flagship department store,” explains Horrix. “The challenge has always been to put together a real estate proposition that would enable us to introduce our trading format whilst remaining in the context of the Belfast shopping centre; we have worked closely, with AM Developments initially and now Multi Development, to make that happen.”

The Belfast store is notable too for its increased use of branded concessions, a further crystallisation, says Horrix, of the rationale of House of Fraser as an umbrella brand in its own right, making the department store itself an emporium of designer brands.

“We want the brands themselves to have the opportunity to express themselves more clearly and with as much of their own branding as they can, within a framework that allows our own designers to create a cohesive experience for the customer,” he says.
Many of these brands are appearing in Ireland for the first time, enabling the company to put itself on the map in terms of ‘newness’.

“The store at Victoria Square is probably going to be the biggest that we are ever going to open; Belfast is a capital city and deserves a flagship store, and this is without a doubt the epitome of everything that is good about House of Fraser,” says Horrix.

For the full article please see the RLI April 08 issue