Beales will fill street void and raise the footfall

Independent businesses up and down St John Street have welcomed the news of Beales department store moving into the former McEwens building, which shut up shop last year after trading for nearly 150 years in the Fair City.

Brian Allan from Rohan outdoor wear, which looks directly on to McEwens, said:“It is far better than having the building falling into disrepair on the other side of the road. It would be great if Beales could come in and tidy the place up, that would be great. It will encourage more footfall at this end of the town, which is good for all of the businesses here in St John Street.

“As I understand it, Beales will be a very similar type of shop to McEwens, almost like for like. That will fill a void in the city, because other shops in Perth don’t cater for the same customers as McEwens did.”

Echoing Mr Allan’s comments, Martin Young from Cairncross of Perth jewellers added: “This is great news for the street and for the town.”

Frank Burger-Seed from popular bar The Venue added:“Any business moving in is good for business, so it is fantastic news. And, it will definitely increase footfall across Perth.”

After the news of Beales take-over of the iconic city centre department store, representatives from the Bournemouthbased company have already been meeting with other businesses on the street throughout the week, and hope to be up and running by November.