quite vigilant about which ones they let in," she says. She has found two dresses to try on, one blue with white spots from Hobbs, and a yellow bird-and-flower print one from Oasis.

That perception of House of Fraser as home to upmarket, high-quality brands, chimes nicely with the promise made by Mr Ashley when his Sports Direct group bought the chain out of administration almost a year ago. At that point it was on the brink of insolvency, but Mr Ashley pledged to turn it into the "Harrods of the High Street".

But this week Sports Direct said it was delaying its financial results partly due to uncertainty over House of Fraser's financial performance, prompting retail analyst Nick Bubb to label the chain "clearly a disaster area".

While it waitsLeeds. The retail expert says the shelves at what was the Chanel stall there are just standing empty of stock, with the lights off.

"It looks really bad," Kate says. Beauty drives a lot of footfall in department stores, which is why you're usually greeted by the perfume and cosmetic counter at the main entrance. But another concession has a taped off area too, she says.

"I saw something I never thought I'd see in a 'Harrods of the High Street': Brut aftershave at two for £8," says Kate. "Very Superdrug." It's not a brand she thinks works for House of Fraser.

Image caption Chanel is no longer running concessions in House of Fraser, though other big brands remain

Earlier in the year, the Sports Direct-owned lingerie brand Agent Provocateur was introduced