Army & Navy stores disappear
More than 130 years of retail history is to be swept away when House of Fraser dumps the landmark Army & Navy name from its London store.
The brand, established in 1871 as a cooperative, is to be abandoned in a company policy which also threatens the future of some of Britain's most famous high street names.
Other stores in the House of Fraser group, including Barkers, Dickens & Jones, David Evans and Binns, are all earmarked to be rebranded as Frasers.
The ultimate aim of the policy is to see every one of the company's 47 department stores lose their original names.
Although the company has placed no deadline on the changes, famous names such as Rackhams, Jollys, Dingles and Hammonds will eventually disappear.
The Howells, Kendals and Cavendish House stores will also be subjected to name changes.
Last month, an Evening Standard survey found London becoming a city of "cloned" high streets as independent names disappear; what consumer champions dub "the great chainstore massacre". Campaigners have also now expressed dismay at the " homogenisation" of the House of Fraser brands.
Ruth Potts, spokesperson for the New Economic Foundation, said: "What House of Fraser is doing is really symptomatic of the 'blandification' of our high streets.
"It is not just a cosmetic issue - it means the loss of local character and it is getting to the point where you can go to any high street in Britain and see exactly the same brands. House of Fraser has capitalised on the regional heritage of its brands for some time but now it is removing its sheep's clothing."
Army & Navy was established by officers with the aim of providing discounted goods to anybody, including widows, with military connections.
Its unique founding principles banned the use of advertising and it effectively established the world's first mail-order system by supplying essentials to officers serving in the colonies.
In 1914, a Canadian member of staff invented the "tin hat" helmet.
It was taken over in 1973 by House of Fraser, which drew praise at the time for keeping the name, and later moved its main branch to Victoria Street, SW1.
A spokesman said: "It is very much the norm for the stores' names to change following refurbishment. The three remaining Army & Navy stores will, for example, retain their names until they are refurbished but we have not announced any plans."
