House of Fraser to roll discounts

House of Fraser is to introduce rolling discounts on poor selling lines of its own-label clothing, amid fears that the chain could be taking the discounting route followed by rivals such as Debenhams.

The chain of 48 department stores, including the Army & Navy and Dickens & Jones brands, has until now resisted discounting its clothing lines, fearing that such a move would harm its mid-market image.

But the group was forced to heavily discount its winter clothing lines before Christmas because of the warm autumn weather. This was seen as a one-off move.

The decision to introduce continuous discounting means that House of Fraser stores will put slow-moving lines on sale early in the season, rather than waiting for sale periods or storing the goods until the following season, as has happened previously.

One retail analyst says: “The chain had such a nasty experience this Christmas, it makes sense for House of Fraser to make a move like this. It should focus buyers’ minds.”