The department chain has written to some of its landlords to ask for substantial rent reductions, ahead of its Christmas trading update this week. 

Given the dire update and profit warning on Thursday from rival Debenhams, many in the City expect House of Fraser’s to be bad too. 

Retailers face challenges on multiple fronts. 

For a start, there is the continued rise of online shopping, reducing footfall and sales volumes in bricks and mortar outlets. 

The more online grows, the more expensive it becomes to operate physical stores. 

Then there are price cuts and promotions. 

Some retailers seem to have forgotten the old adage “sales are vanity, profits are sanity”, which means that selling a lot of things is great but useless if it is unprofitable. 

Firms need to adapt quicker to these changing, testing times if they are to survive.

They need to wean themselves off unsustainable price cuts and offers. 

Retailers need to rethink how they use space. 

This could result in smaller stores and operating smaller combined show rooms and click and collect points to cut costs. 

Even then, retailers will need Government help. 

Business rates are still far too high and leave bricks and mortar operators struggling to compete against pure online outfits. 

The High Street is not doomed, but it will take a lot of effort to turn things around.