Carpetright also said it was shutting 92 stores after difficult trading. Andy Brian, partner and head of retail at Gordons law firm, said: "It's no coincidence that many of the more 'traditional' high street names are struggling. These are incredibly challenging times for retailers with pressures such as rising import prices, business rates and the costs of trying to keep up with online competitors all combining to squeeze margins, particularly for the likes of House of Fraser (and recently BHS and Debenhams) which have historically relied heavily on their bricks and mortar presence.