Frasers to close historic Jenners in Edinburgh

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Jan 25, 2021

An Edinburgh landmark is set to close with Frasers Group having announced it will permanently shut the 180-year-old Jenners department store. Around 200 jobs will go.

Coming on the same day as we learned that no Debenhams stores will be rescued, it represented yet another piece of bad news for the department stores retail sector in Britain.

The closure comes as Frasers couldn’t reach agreement with owner Anders Polvsen, the billionaire behind the Bestseller fashion group who is also a major landlord in the UK. He reportedly paid £50 million for the Princes Street building in 2017.

It will close on May 3 as the owner presses ahead with reported plans to renovate the site. Plans are thought to include a hotel, cafes, rooftop restaurant and bar, along with stores for Bestseller-owned brands.

In a statement, Frasers said: “Despite the global pandemic, numerous lockdowns and the turbulence caused for British retail, the landlord hasn’t been able to work mutually on a fair agreement, therefore, resulting in the loss of 200 jobs and a vacant site for the foreseeable future with no immediate plans.”

It said it remains committed to Frasers but “landlords and retailers need to work together in a fair manner, especially when all stores are closed.”