THE empty House of Fraser unit is set to be brought back into use as hoardings have gone up just months after the major department store shut its doors.
House of Fraser announced last year that it would be closing its branch in Lakeside Shopping Centre in January 2024, as staff were told of the closure on Friday, October 20.
This came after Frasers Group chief executive, Michael Murray, said House of Fraser is a "broken business" and likely to "diminish".
Now, signs have gone up outside the former department store revealing Next's plans to open at the site next spring.
Next already has a branch at the West Thurrock shopping centre, with Lakeside bosses confirming the retailer will be moving from unit 76 into the "bigger" new store.
Howard Oldstein, centre director at Lakeside, said: “We are excited to see Next move into the former House of Fraser location that will see the brand expand their offering for our shoppers and relocate into a bigger brand new store.
“Due to open next year, we aim to release further information nearer the time.”
The move comes after Marks and Spencer also moved from its previous Lakeside site into the shopping centre's large former Debenhams branch in November.
Next was contacted for comment.
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