Express & Star comment: ‘End of an era’ is not cliché here after Beatties' downfall

It has been a landmark shopping destination for people in the Black Country, Staffordshire and beyond for more than 140 years.

Many will say the writing was on the wall ever since House of Fraser took over running the show more than a decade ago.

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There is no doubt that it is often difficult for huge multi-national companies to have the same feeling and empathy with shoppers in places such as Wolverhampton as there would have been for the original owners.

They understood that people were – and still are – willing to pay for high quality goods and services, providing they are delivered in the right way by their staff.

Sadly, the store’s demise in recent years has been there for all to see, from the closure of its famous toy department to the scaling back of many of its franchises.

It is fair to say that under the House of Fraser banner, Beatties has not been what it once was.

Many have commented in recent years that the store seems tired, and looks as though it needs a major overhaul.

While in many respects Beatties remains a high quality operation, too many things have gone wrong with the system.

It is clear there has been underinvestment and in simple terms, it is a classic example of a department store that has not managed to keep up with the times.

Beatties has been too slow to adapt to the pace of change brought about by online shopping and the ‘pile it high, sell it quick’ discount stores that are now grabbing the lion’s share of the market.

Similar stores that have been successful, such as Selfridges, offer a shopping experience that is sorely lacking in many House of Fraser outlets so it can never compete.

One analyst on this page describes Beatties as having more in common with Grace Brothers than a modern, 2018 luxury store.

And while that may seem like a harsh comparison, customers have clearly been voting with their feet.

That is not to say that there is anything wrong with aspiring to top level standards of customer service when you spend your hard-earned cash.

There is certainly no shortage of demand for premium quality goods in the Black Country.

However, for various reasons which will become clearer as time goes by, the winning formula that Beatties held for more than a century has been lost.

Thoughts now turn to the hundreds of staff affected by this closure, and the thousands of pensioners who have depended on the company for many years.

Our thoughts are with them at this sad time. We hope they get the support they deserve.

Looking to the future, it is vital that Wolverhampton somehow manages to fill the gaping void that Beatties will undoubtedly leave.

With House of Fraser expected to close the store early next year, the clock is ticking in terms of finding a new occupant for the stunning landmark building.

It must not be allowed to go to waste and become, god forbid, an eyesore in the heart of the city.

This is a wretched blow for Wolverhampton, a city which has seen great progress in recent years on so many levels.

The big challenge now is to ensure that everything possible is done to mitigate the loss of this iconic store.

It is a phrase that is often overused, but without doubt, the loss of Beatties marks the end of an era.