Jeweller hopes expansion will give confidence to city’s retailers

Bucking the trend of a struggling national retail sector, one of Perth’s oldest businesses has reopened following a major refurbishment.

T Paterson Jeweller has been in the same High Street premises since around 1870 and its expansion is the largest in the shop’s long history.

The redevelopment has seen the business spread into an adjacent unit, left empty following the relocation of Campus Sports.

Managing director Derek Paterson – whose great-greatgreat grandfather Thomas founded the business in 1832 – said the expansion was evidence of his confidence in city as a shopping destination.

He hopes other businesses will follow suit and invest, helping to reverse a recent trend that has seen the city lose names such as McEwens of Perth and Watson of Perth.

“I hope that the investment we have made in the business will inspire others to follow,” he said.

“Importantly our expansion has also removed an empty unit from the High Street.”

Mr Paterson added that given how long the shop had been on the High Street it had been strange to see it change.

Nonetheless, he said he and his team were delighted with the results.

Derek Paterson and Claire Merson.