The Scream

Lots of kids and their parents dressed up in silly outfits in Manchester today - Halloween in the City.

There must be a Halloween trail too. Inflatable monsters sit atop various buildings, including this one outside Kendall’s.

However, by far the scariest thing is going inside Kendall’s. Everywhere there are big signs - “Closing Down - 20% off everything”. It’s all desperately sad. And for the staff, who are losing their jobs, this will be the worst run up to Christmas they’ve ever had.

Kendall’s (it’s been House of Fraser for years, but people still use the old name) has been a Manchester institution for years. The building was built as a department store, and faces being empty for a long time from its closure in late January. An alternative use will be difficult to find. Maybe impossible, without destroying the essence of this Art Deco building. That no entry sign will have meaning for the building itself.

I still wonder if Mike Ashley is playing a high stakes game to persuade the owner to reduce the rent. It may all be a question of who bears the financial pain, and how. The shopper seems incidental in all of this, although it’s our collective action in shopping online that is killing the high street. We are all being very silly !