Edinburgh Woollen Mill Group owner Philip Day is reported to be in talks with a group of landlords to take over several House of Fraser stores, according to a report by Drapers.
The retail mogul lost his original bid to buy out House of Fraser to Mike Ashley.
He’s now believed to be in discussions with 10-15 landlords about leasing the stores and converting them to his Days Department Store fascia.
READ MORE: House of Fraser website goes down
Day is also understood to be offering to pay higher rents than House of Fraser during talks to save the beleaguered department store.
The reports will not be welcome news for House of Fraser’s new owner, Mike Ashley, who has told press he’ll aim to keep 80 per cent of the business’s stores open with a revamp into luxury retail.
The news comes as House of Fraser’s website remains offline amid an ongoing spat between its main warehouse and new owners.
Click here to sign up to Retail Gazette‘s free daily email newsletter
