// Jenners in Edinburgh to shut down for good on May 3, leading to 200 job cuts
// Frasers Group failed to reach an agreement with the landlord, Anders Povlsen, to continue the tenancy
Frasers Group has announced that it will permanently shut down the iconic Jenners store in Edinburgh after it failed to reach an agreement with the landlord to continue the tenancy.
The closure, slated for May 3, will lead to the loss of 200 jobs.
A Frasers Group spokesperson said the decision came about because it was unable to reach an agreement with the owner of the Jenners building, Anders Povlsen, to continue their tenancy.
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“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,” the Frasers Group spokesperson said.
“Our commitment to our Frasers strategy remains but landlords and retailers need to work together in a fair manner, especially when all stores are closed.”
Jenners has occupied the same Princes Street location in central Edinburgh for more than 180 years.
In 2005, Jenners was sold to the Al-Fayed family, the then-owners of House of Fraser and also former owners of Harrods.
Unlike other acquisitions that saw a rebrand and rename, Jenners managed to keep its identity – although it was still considered and traded as a House of Fraser site nonetheless.
House of Fraser has been owned by Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group since August 2018, when it was acquired in a pre-pack administration deal.
In 2019 speculation arose that Jenners could be forced to leave the Princes Street location after Povlsen unveiled plans to reinvent the heritage building.
Povlsen himself is a retail and property tycoon.
Alongside being the current owner of international retail chain Bestseller, he has significant stakes in Asos and Zalando and is regarded as the largest individual private landowner in the UK.
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