The story of Frasers - Glasgow's Christmas retail palace

One of our last remaining traditional department stores began life here in our city and grew from humble beginnings into a national chain.

House of Fraser, now known as Frasers, dominates Buchanan Street and has served as one of the premier shopping destinations in the city centre since 1849.

Frasers on Boxing Day, 2006 (Image: Newsquest archive)

One of the most treasured aspects of this store comes at this time of year, as Frasers is transformed into a spectacle of festivities with Christmas lights adorned across its iconic shopfront and all through its interior.

It’s synonymous with Glasgow at Christmas, has outlived fondly remembered names such as Goldbergs and Lewis’s, and it’s been part of the city centre shopping scene for so long that it would be strange if the retail palace ever leaves us…

But before its rise in popularity, House of Fraser started as a drapery shop on the corner of Argyle Street and Buchanan Street. Hugh Fraser and James Arthur ran the retail store and wholesale respectively, and when Fraser died his three sons took over and it was known as Fraser & Sons, but it wasn’t until the next generation when Hugh Fraser III was in charge that he expanded the store’s potential.

New departments selling different products were introduced in the late 1920s, and a tearoom and restaurant also opened. Business continued to boom when Fraser bought over the Arnott & Simpson brands in a bid to increase sales for all companies.

Another beloved shopping destination for Glaswegians – and with a memorable festive light display at Christmas time – the merge resulted in the name we remember as House of Fraser.

Arnott & Simpson was bought by the brand (Image: Newsquest)

The store came under different ownership over the years, with the Al Fayed family purchasing the brand in the 1980s for more than £600 million. Head honcho Mohamed Al Fayed was known for his ownership of Harrods, The Ritz and Fulham FC – as well as his and his late son Dodi’s friendship with Princess Diana.

House of Fraser changed hands twice more before entering administration in 2018. The sad announcement was made that a staggering 31 of its 58 stores in the country would close, including its flagship Oxford Street branch which opened in 1879.

But later came the news that not all hope was lost, as Mike Ashley’s Sports Direct – now known as the Frasers Group – saved some shops earmarked for closure when they agreed to buy House of Frasers’ business assets, including the purchase of the Glasgow building for £95 million. 

Christmas display at Frasers, 2008 (Image: Newsquest)

With a legacy lasting since the golden age of department stores in the Victorian era, the future of Frasers and, of course, the Glasgow store, has been dogged with uncertainty. There have been plans to open a host of new stores and to revamp the existing ones so that the name House of Fraser will ‘cease to exist’.

Ashley’s son-in-law Michael Murray, who is the company’s chief executive, previously called the brand a ‘broken business’ as the firm’s priorities shifted exclusively to the Frasers brand.

Plans were submitted earlier this year to Glasgow City Council for this supposed revamp of the Buchanan Street store, with images showcasing new lighting, fixtures and décor.

Christmas display at Frasers, 2008 (Image: Newsquest)

Whether we see these plans come to life or not, many of us in Glasgow will have fond memories of visiting Frasers over the Christmas period, from choosing the perfect gift for our loved ones to enjoying the festive window displays and lights accompanied by a mixture of scents from the perfumery.