Howells: Cardiff department store is set to close

A landmark Cardiff city centre department store is set to close its doors after more than 150 years.

House of Fraser, which opened on St Mary Street as Howells in 1867, will shut in March, according to signs outside the building.

It had originally been set to close in 2018, when House of Fraser first announced plans to leave Wales.

Thackeray Group has acquired the Grade II-listed building and is set to spend £100m redeveloping it.

The real estate firm, which has previously repurposed heritage sites, said it hopes to turn the building into a mixed use venue.

• Landmark store 'will not close' - landlord

• 'Not just shopping - it was an event'

The plans include the creation of a rooftop terrace, which the company said would "which will suit a variety of different uses from F&B, office, retail or community use".

There are plans to turn the rooftop into a terrace

But the loss of an icon on the Cardiff high street was emotional for some shoppers.

"I'm gutted," said Ronnie Margerison, 48, from Newport, who was a womenswear manager for House of Fraser 20 years ago.

"It was really great," she said. "It was like a lovely family.

A former manager at the House of Fraser said she was "gutted" about its closure

"Back then people wouldn't go online, they'd order things and come in to collect them," she added.

She called the closure "really sad".

The impressions show the section of the building not currently being used by House of Fraser

"I was just talking to one of the girls in one of the concessions there that I know and she was saying she only found out yesterday," Ms Margerison said. "She doesn't have another job to go to.

"She's got two little ones. It's a real shame, I think it's going to affect a lot of people."

Maureen Thomas said: "It's a shock to see it's closing down but we have been expecting it because it's been going down... all the stock and stuff like that."

Friends (left to right) Caroline Banks, Maureen Thomas and Sue Morgan from Cardiff have enjoyed shopping trips to House of Fraser over the years

Sue Morgan added: "The lights have been dimmed there and the stock is not as good. There's not much atmosphere there anymore."

• ICONIC WELSH PEOPLE, PLACES AND THINGS: Kiri Pritchard-McLean unearths the best clips from the BBC Wales archive

• DABBERS AT THE READY: A glimpse into a Tonypandy Bingo Hall