Mark Sherwood, consultant to House of Fraser, on how the department store model needs to evolve

The department store model needs to evolve in order to survive, and operators that fail to do so may die out.

One of the main challenges facing all department store operators in the current retail climate is how to manage surplus space, which many no longer need. They need to start thinking of different ways to use it in order to optimize the customer experience, including incorporating office, leisure, and storage.