House of Fraser- Life in a department store

Brights of Bournemouth

House of Fraser began as Brights department store, and it was the first of its kind in Bournemouth. It opened in 1871 and quickly became a popular destination. The store had a major impact on the social lives of Bournemouth’s citizens. This new type of store, with its 42 departments, gave people the opportunity to browse leisurely with friends, without the pressure to purchase. However, like many other department stores, it was marketed to the middle and upper classes, which resulted in many people feeling excluded from this popular social venue.

Brights was proud to advertise that they housed “one of the finest restaurants in the south of England.” This quickly became a popular meeting place as music was provided here three times a day. The restaurant also featured sea views, ice-cream sundaes and a soda fountain, which only added to its popularity as a social destination.

Dingles

Brights was renamed Dingles in 1972, after it was bought by the JJ Allen group (House of Fraser) in 1960. It maintained the wide variety of departments and products. The stores popularity as a social meeting place and as a destination for leisurely browsing continued. The restaurant and the department store as a whole became less formal and targeted customers from all classes. This increased its popularity as it became a universal destination.

Dingles actively participated in local community events, such as parades. They made elaborate floats and rode camels in Bournemouth’s town centre. The staff at this department store clearly enjoyed their jobs as they had the opportunity to participate in fun and creative social events outside of work and collaborate with the local community. The store also hosted charity fundraiser events, tiger cub petting and children’s easter bonnet and poster competitions. This proves the department store was important social destination for the whole town.

House of Fraser

Dingles was re-named again to House of Fraser in 2007. The store proved to be an enjoyable place to work, as many members of staff stayed loyal through the rebranding. Store detective, Pamela Quinn worked and enjoyed the job here for twelve years before retiring. She recalled the management to be “very helpful,” which was important in a large store, as good communication between departments was essential. The number of social events hosted by the department store declined, and the restaurant is not considered to be a luxurious place to socialise anymore. This is because of its casual, lunch time menu that replaced its formal dining, which previously became its most popular feature. As a result, the stores popularity and importance within the town decreased.

This is becoming a common trend on UK high streets, with the rise of internet shopping and economic recessions, 120 department stores have closed since 2016. After interviewing an elderly local resident in Bournemouth, who doesn’t have access to online shopping, it is clear that people are negatively affected by the drastically changing high street, as they believe there are “too many coffee shops” and not enough “nice” retail stores.

House of Fraser’s declining number of customers evokes the question, for how much longer can their doors remain open?

Sources used/ Further reading

Ladell, Alwyn. Theatre Royal programme. 1922. Flickr.

Ladell, Alwyn. Dingles (E Dingle & Co., Ltd., House of Fraser) , 24 Old Christchurch Road, Bournemouth, Dorset. 2017. Flickr.

Ladell, Alwyn. The Winter Gardens, Exeter Road, Bournemouth, Dorset. 1978. Flickr.

Ladell, Alwyn. Gervis Place, Bournemouth, Dorset. 2011. Flickr.

Ladell, Alwyn. Looking East, Gervis Arcade, Bournemouth, Dorset. 2011. Flickr.

Ladell, Alwyn. F J Bright & Son, Gervis Place, Bournemouth, Dorset. 1907. Flickr.

Murray, Keith. House of Fraser, Bournemouth. 2021. Flickr.

“Brights to Dingles, looking back through the years.” Bournemouth Daily Echo, 29 August 2018.

“Do you remember the tills ringing at the Hampshire Centre, Bright’s of Bournemouth or Bobby & Co?.” Bournemouth Daily Echo, 7 February 2019.

“New hope for House of Fraser in Bournemouth.” Bournemouth Daily Echo, 11 August 2018.

Hughes, Cathy and Cath Jackson. “Death of the high street: identification, prevention, reinvention.” Regional studies, Regional science 2, no. 1. (April 2015): 237-256. (p.238)

Jeacle, I, “Emporium of glamour and sanctum of scientific management: The early twentieth century department store”, Management Decisions. 42 No. 9, (2004): pp. 1162-1177. (p 1162).

Quinn, Pamela. Interviewed by Daisy Laker. 6 November 2021.

Laermans, Rudi. “Learning to Consume: Early Department Stores and the Shaping of the Modern Consumer Culture (1860-1914).” Theory, Culture & Society 10, no. 4 (November 1993): 79–102.