Ex-jenners boss hopes plan is ‘new lease of life’
● ‘Joy and privilege’ to serve Edinburgh for nearly 170 years
Plans to move Jenners from its historic home on Princes Street could mean a “new lease of life” for the building, one of the last family owners of the business has said.
Andrew Douglas-miller said a restoration of the iconic building to create a hotel, rooftop restaurant and bar, could have a revitalising effect.
One of the last family owners of Jenners has said the transformation of the store’s historic home could give the building a “new lease of life”.
Andrew Douglas-miller, who was managing director of the department store between 1999 and 2003 and then deputy chairman before its sale to House of Fraser two years later, added serving Edinburgh was a “joy and a privilege”.
The comments come after plans were revealed for a restoration of the iconic building including the construction of a hotel, rooftop restaurant and bar by billionaire owner Anders Holch Povlsen.
Before being bought by House of Fraser, now owned by Mike Ashley’s Sports Direct, Jenners was a family-run business for nearly 170 years.
With the store preparing to depart its iconic Princes Street location, Mr Douglas-miller lamented the loss of the “integral” brand name.
The now self-employed retail consultant warned that restoring the building would cost a large amount of money but added it could have a revitalising effect on the building.
He said: “The Jenners name is an integral part of Edinburgh, it has been around since 1838. Harrods is integral to London and Jenners is integral to Edinburgh.
“The retail environment has changed so much that it looks as if Povlsen is changing with time and if he is prepared to spend that amount of money investing in the building, I think it is a good thing. The outside was mainly built in sandstone which weathers so it will need a lot of work on the stones and internally.”
Mr Douglas-miller added that he hoped the restoration would bring back the historic grand hall.
He said: “It was emotional to sell the business in 2005 so it has been a while but I think under the ownership of if they are prepared to invest in the building and make it a
“It is sad when things change but you have to accept that things move on and one can look back and think that we were a credit to the city”
ANDREW DOUGLAS-MILLER
Jenners managing director 1999-2003
hotel and it looks as if it will be mixed then that is good. “If they refurbish the grand hall and they can bring back the atmosphere and all the architecture of the grand hall it will give it a new lease of life.”
He said the potential loss of the Jenners name from Princes Street as a whole after a more than 180 year connection to the shopping centre of Edinburgh was emotional.
“One has got to look forward. We had a fantastic innings, we were the oldest independent department store in the world and were on of the leading department stores in Europe at that time and it was a joy and a privilege to serve Edinburgh for so long,” he said
“It is sad when things change but you have to accept that things move on and one can look back and think that we were a credit to the city and hopefully the residents of Edinburgh and further afield were proud to have a department store like us operating in Scotland.”