House of Fraser's history in Darlington as store closes

The doors on the High Row store will be locked for the final time later today (Sunday, March 8), closing the chapter on more than 100 years of retail history.

The shop, which is the final department store in Darlington, has faced a turbulent few years in the aftermath of Covid, the cost-of-living crisis, and administration fears. 

But the store has always managed to keep going - until today. 

The last few weeks have seen shelves go bare, sale posters go up, and mannequins stripped of their clothing ahead of the closure. 

It was initially due to shut in April - but, as The Northern Echo revealed last week, the closure was suddenly brought forward to Sunday earlier this week with just a few days' notice. 

Now, as shoppers prepare to say goodbye to the High Row store, we look back on its more than 100-year stint in town - and how the last few years have brought us to today. 

The Binns history - from early days to turbulent 20s

Formed by Quaker draper George Binns in Sunderland in 1807, Binns became a regional institution.

It was August 1922 when the firm finally decided to expand into Darlington, taking over Arthur Sanders’ drapery business. 

The Binns store in Darlington (Picture courtesy of the Darlington Centre for Local Studies)

It spent £15,000 on revamping its first Darlington store on High Row but, in 1925, the largest fire for decades broke out there, causing the loss of £50,000-worth of stock.

Binns had been buying up property on the corner of High Row before the blaze even took place - and it was the fire that piled on the pressure to acquire the new building. 

Despite not owning all the properties that the building wrapped around, such as Sidgwick’s drapery, Binns got straight to work. 

In November 1925, it launched its Selfridges-influenced store on High Row, wrapping around the sites it could not purchase. 

Binns had taken on the Sidgwick’s and Boots stores by 1935, and were rebuilt by Binns. 

It wasn’t until 1953 when T Wood closed and was bought out, and not until 1973 that this store was rebuilt using Europe’s largest crane.

House of Fraser took over the chain in 1953, with the Darlington store being the only one left under the Binns name. 

Binns on High Row (Image: Binns archive)

But by the 2010s, the chain's future started to look more and more uncertain.

In 2018, House of Fraser announced it was to close both its Darlington and Middlesbrough stores in what was branded a blow to shoppers.

But by August of that year, after Sports Direct tycoon Mike Ashley bought the department store chain out of administration for £90m, Darlington Council secured its future in town.

There was a wobble of uncertainty the following year, when the building was put up for sale by its previous owners - but the chain remained.

Despite Covid and the closure of the Middlesbrough House of Fraser, the Darlington store survived.

However, by July 2024, the store was left once again hanging in the balance after the building was put on the market for £1m. 

The chain then announced two months later that it would be closing due to the landlord’s decision to terminate the lease. 

House of Fraser as it prepared to close in 2024 (Image: PAUL NORRIS)

A twist in the tale came in October 2024 when the building was bought by a local investment company, and hours later, the news that House of Fraser would stay was confirmed.

The next few weeks saw various talks taking place behind the scenes, with John Taylor, director of Parker Barras and agent of the owner, saying that details were being finalised on the deal with teams “working around the clock”.

Manager Simon Rochester who was thrilled when the store was saved (Image: THE NORTHERN ECHO)

It was several weeks later that the news of the deal was officially confirmed by Parker Barras.

House of Fraser then went on to sign a one-year agreement last March.

Since the deal was struck, plans were approved to split the building into six individual shops in a bid to “keep options open” for the future. 

There are indicative drawings for the upper floors to be transformed into 73 apartments with a gym and remote working space, or alternatively office space.

Sadly, this January, the closure was once again announced.

The closing down signs return in 2026 (Image: THE NORTHERN ECHO)

A closing date of April - despite the deal ending this month - was initially spoken of but the Echo revealed this week that the shop would in fact close on Sunday. 

It is understood that staff were told this week. 

Mr Taylor said: “I have had no further contact with House of Fraser to confirm what they are doing. Our thoughts go out to the staff”. 

Pictures taken from inside the shop reveal the sad truth of the closure, with shelves bare, sale signs hanging on the walls, and vast sections of empty space where clothing rails once were. 

House of Fraser this week (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

The closure will come just days after the building was put up for sale for an undisclosed fee as an “incredible investment opportunity”.

What happens now remains uncertain - but it is understood that there is some interest in taking over the building.

A national food and drink operator has already formally submitted an offer to take over part of the building and it was later confirmed that a third offer had been made to take over part of the space, this time by another unnamed national retailer.