The new tenants of Jolly's have pledged to restore the store to its "former glory", although there will be a year-long hiatus before the store can reopen as the council undertakes extensive repairs to the roof costing millions.
The iconic Milsom Street store was shuttered by the Frasers Group last month, but now department store chain Morleys has declared it will be reviving the store, retaining its name and previous store manager. Morleys CEO Allan Winstanley told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "Jolly's will be returned back to its former glory as a premium end branded department store."
However, the store will remain closed for approximately a year while Bath and North East Somerset Council, which owns the building and acts as the store's landlord, carries out crucial restoration work on the roof. When questioned about the cost of the works, Mark Elliott, the council cabinet member for resources, admitted: "We honestly don't know yet. It will be millions of pounds. We honestly don't have a price yet."
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The extensive façade of Jolly's runs nearly 50 metres along Milsom Street, with the shop extending through to John Street under a complex network of old and new roofing. Mr Elliott noted that the bulk of the council's financial outlay would be on the roofing, while the interior refurbishments, including the new fit-out, will be mostly financed by Morleys.
Morleys is expected to take custody of the building in February 2026, with plans to partially open the premises by March of the same year. The establishment is set to include a "heritage space" to highlight the historical significance of Jolly's as well as the vision for its refurbishment, culminating in a fully-fledged grand opening scheduled for October 2026.
Council leader Kevin Guy said: "Milsom Street has always been a very special shopping destination and Morleys Stores is a fantastic fit for the area. Morleys' decision complements the investment the council is making in the Milsom Quarter."
The revelation that Morleys would take over the site came weeks after Frasers shut down operations there, though the council said it had been in discussions with Morleys about the takeover for the past 18 months. Mr Guy said: "We have been working very hard because we knew House of Fraser was struggling."
Morleys, established in 1927, boasts seven other department stores across London and one in Newbury. In the face of challenging economic conditions, Mr Winstanley confidently remarked: "We trade well."
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He added: "We are a community-based store chain. We are not reliant too much online; it's a smaller part of our business. We are actually a bricks and mortar classic retailer but we are very customer-focused and we are very service-focused as well. We provide high service which our brand partners appreciate."
The origins of the iconic Bath shopping destination dates back to 1811 when James Jolly initiated his drapery business in Kent and branched out with a store in Bath by 1823. The department store, which had transformed into a House of Fraser outlet in 1971, closed this February.
The new Jolly's will offer a "carefully curated selection" of fashion, beauty, and homeware. A "full service" beauty experience is on the cards, along with the promise of "exclusive names never before seen in Bath."
Jess Merritt-John, who continues her role as manager under the new management, said there was a keen interest among former staff to rejoin the team, saying: "I have got a queue of people who are desperate to come back.
"I think they feel very passionate about it being the best department store it could possibly be."
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