House of Fraser

It was a sad and desperate day when Cardiff’s Howells department store resigned itself to market pressure and adopted the name ‘House of Fraser’. It was even more heartbreaking to witness the store’s attempts to relaunch itself with the line ‘Cardiff’s biggest department store’, just days before the rival John Lewis opened.
However, despite the change of name, this particular HoF still retains an air of charm and its confusing labyrinthine network of staircases, walkways and escalators make visiting here a truly unique experience.
When I first moved to Cardiff it took me a long time to make this store part of my Saturday morning shopping routine. Downstairs is home to the more high-​end brands, giving a deceptive impression of what the shop is about. Great if you can afford a Mulberry (dream!), but not so good if there’s more money on the fake credit cards that pad out their purses than in your bank.
Make an effort to go upstairs and you’ll see the much more affordable items, from your standard high street stores to the more exciting choices such as Therapy, Tommy Hilfiger and Label (a purse-​friendly alternative to All Saints).
URBAN CHALLENGE: Play hide and seek

I’m not really reviewing the House of Fraser, you know what that’s like. James Howell & Co is where I’m aiming this one. Once individual, Howell’s adopted the House of Fraser name and innards but still looks like an independent run business from the outside.
It’s a striking building and has the tall, slightly overbearing appearance of a Victorian mansion.
Inside though, that’s where I have problems. I’ve been in this store a few times, I’ve shopped and browsed here. I swear I have never been anywhere so confusing. If you enter from St Mary’s Street, God help you. I went in and tried to find a specific department; I immediately regretted it. Upstairs, downstairs, through a corridor, past the ties, round the corner…
I’m sure they don’t signpost anywhere either, you just walk and walk, hoping that at some point all will become clear.
Maybe no-​one else has this problem, but if they do then they might like to meet me for a drink, because I’m still here. Now where do we meet…

After christmas I went here to spend what Santa had left me.
Usually what he left me wouldn’t go very far in a shop like this but as the sale was on I was able to spread it that little bit further.
I do like shopping in House of Fraser (Also known as Howells) as the atmosphere is second to none and you do not get pushed and shuved everywhere my the chavs of the city!
But… to get this sort of atmosphere you are expected to pay over and above for the items they sell.
I have seen so many products that they sell in HoF cheaper else where but for some reason it keeps drawing me back in!
The sale after christmas was great. I managed to pick up a gorgeous handbag which I had had my eye on before xmas for 30% less!
You may pay extra to shop in such luxury but it does mean the sales assistants offer excellent service and instead of saying «All our stock is out» when you ask for an item in a different size they actually do go into the stock room and have a look for you!
It is worth a visit when the sale is next on!

I absolutely love the James Howell & Co. building that is presently the home of House of Fraser in Cardiff. It is just utterly beautiful and displays a number of different styles that chart the rise of its once formidable position as an independent Welsh store, founded by a homegrown entrepreneur. Occupying a prominent position on St Mary Street, it does a lot to maintain appearances amid the decaying grandeur and decadence of this once fashionable and up-​market strip.
The original structure was built in the late 19^th Century, and lends the place its unmistakable ornate façade that sits proudly, in gorgeous symmetry on St Marys Street. In the 1920s a large and well-​proportioned neoclassical extension was built reaching to the end of the portion of St Mary’s Street that meets Heol-​y-​Cawl. A unique result of this extension was that Bethany Chapel was absorbed into the design of the building, with its fascia being incorporated into the interior of the new building.
Further extensions were added throughout the 1930s, 1950s and 1960s, bridging the gap between the more ornate Victorian style of architecture, and the ground-​breaking, Modernist movement, with is minimalist style, of the ’60’s.
Howells Department Store was originally a family run business, but was sold out in the 1950s to Welsh banker Sir Julian Hodge, who subsequently sold the store to Mohammed Al-​Fayed, the then owner of House of Fraser, ultimately causing the loss of its Welsh independent business status. It was then sold onto the Icelandic investment company, Baugur, at the end of 2006, around the time when Iceland decided it was time to buy up the rest of the world, and, as we know now, to somewhat disastrous effect!

This is a great department store in the city centre. Now that David Morgans has closed and said a tearful farewell, House of Fraser, or ‘Howells’, is the next best thing. There is a certain charm to this department store that places such as Bhs, Debenhams and John Lewis are missing, and I think that’s all down to having a sense of history about the place.
Although the clothes are not generally something that I would go for, I do have a soft spot for the beauty department. I’m a great fan of Clarins and Benefit, and the two outlets they have here really do the brands justice. In fact, all of the staff here are very friendly. Very importantly, they don’t feel predatory at all, as in some other beauty departments you feel attacked with sales techniques.
This is a great place to come, especially around Christmas time, when you could quite literally do all of your shopping under one roof and then stop and have a coffee in the nice little Caffe Nero at the bottom. Their food section of quality biscuits, chocolates and all things yummy, is a definite must.

I love this shop, its the perfect place for getting lost. The layout is a bit of a maze but it certainly insures that you see all the departments it has to offer. A bit annoying if your in a hurry but perfect for browsing, and if your luckily enough you’ll find yourself in a café for caffeine fix.
Unlike John Lewis, the new boy in town, House of Fraser offers much more in the way of character. It does feel a bit like a mini Harrods or somewhere like that. Staff are brilliantly helpful and there’s even a personal shopping service if you need some help.
Yes its full of more expensive brands but they also have really good sales sections and its always worth having a look because you can get some really good brands at a bargain price.
I also love the little food hall that sells a range of foods and particularly good chocolates. Plus of course your guaranteed to come out smelling better!

With luxury brands such as Crème de la Mer, Bobbie Brown, Nars, and Bliss spa on offer, the beauty department in House of Fraser aka Howells (not to be confused with the school) has always been top notch. The women’s clothing selection however has always been slightly higgledy piggledy, until recently that is.
New refurbishments to this House of Fraser have been most welcome (something tells me that they may have been slightly worried about competition from the new John Lewis). In addition to bow resembling a smaller version of an upmarket London department store (an amazing feat), the women swear section now stocks a variety new of designer brands including; Kenneth Cole, BCBG Max Azira, Ralph Lauren, and of course all the old ones.
If you can’t afford luxury brands (or they’re just not you thing) don’t be put off. House of Fraser also has a selection of high street brands such as Kookai, Ted Baker, Warehouse, Oasis and most recently Mango.
As a bit of handbag obsessive (Gossip has really fuelled this addiction), I’m in complete heaven in the new handbag department. They now stock LuLu Guiness, DKNY, Radley, Guess, and most excitingly Mulberry bags (sadly far to expensive on my salary).
As you can see from Jamie’s review they do of course have a good selection of menswear (definitely more his area of expertise than mine). The food hall also has an excellent reputation, they have many specialist luxury products and the selection of olive oils and balsamic vinegars is rather impressive.

When you’re a student you can start living a very blinkered life and your Cardiff can become smaller and smaller.
Infact Cardiff become about 5 places to me for eating/​drinking/​shopping until mother M showed me there was more to life than Clwb Ifor Bach (There isn’t by the way, she just tried to show me).
Enter House of Fraiser or Howells as I’ve always known it as. A department store for the more wallet heavy person and not the P.P.Student that I was.
But this was the turning point in my life (Slightly hyperbolic). I was treated well, like a human being and was actually talking to an assistant that I didn’t feel like I just trod on their shoes or something. You may pay for the service, but my God was I willing to shell out after my experience. It’s a sad truth that you are more respected in shops like these as you have money but I didn’t care, I just really enjoyed the experience.
Unfortunately I can’t fit in the Ted Baker trousers I bought in there now thanks to a lack of fitness motivation (I’m busy, ok!) But it was nice to trudge around in a bit of class for a few months.