The tycoons, ‘the Harrods of the north’ and a riddle over a missing icon
Jenners’ famous sign is removed – and owner points finger at Mike Ashley’s firm
‘Certainly not given authorisation’
IT has stood proudly over one of Scotland’s busiest shopping streets for more than a century.
But fury has erupted after the Jenners department store sign in Edinburgh’s Princes Street was mysteriously taken down.
The lettering was removed on Wednesday – to the ‘surprise’ of the building’s billionaire owner, Anders Holch Povlsen.
Mr Holch Povlsen, Scotland’s richest man, said he was ‘shocked’ to see his tenant – Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group – was removing the signage and had ‘certainly not given authorisation to do so’.
The removal also sparked an investigation after City of Edinme, burgh Council expressed concerns that it may violate planning laws.
Neil Gardiner, the council’s planning convener, said: ‘Given the historical significance of the building, we’re investigating whether or not this constitutes a breach of planning control and we’ll take action if appropriate.’
The 19th-century signs were taken down by the building’s operators, Frasers Group, which is due to leave the premises next month after it failed to reach an agreement to extend its tenancy.
Nicky Erskine, owner of Edinburgh Rope Access, said his team had spent two days removing the letters. He told BBC Scotland they were now being stored on the sixth floor of the department store.
He added: ‘To work on such an iconic building was very special to
but thinking it was the end of the department store made me feel terrible.’
Mr Holch Povlsen’s company AAA United bought the building for around £53million in 2017. The structure dates back to 1838, when Kennington and Jenner was launched, making it one of the oldest department stores trading from the same location in the world.
Mr Ashley’s Frasers Group owns the trading rights to the Jenners name, as well as other brands including House of Fraser and Sports Direct.
House of Fraser is to quit the premises on May 3 after 16 years,
with the loss of 200 jobs. Anders Krogh Vogdrup, director of AAA United, said that the company was only notified of the sign removal on the day.
He said yesterday: ‘We are fully convinced that the signage is part of the listed building and that the removing is in breach of our contract and local planning.’
The Jenners building was sold to private investors in 2005 before being purchased by Mr Holch Povlsen in 2017.
However, the commercial trading rights to the Jenners name were acquired by Mr Ashley when he bought House of Fraser in 2018.
Danish businessman Mr Holch Povlsen has previously called the property the ‘jewel in the crown of Edinburgh’.
He has vowed to maintain its retail roots and said his ‘first priority’ would be to maintain a department store at the site.
Mr Vogdrup said: ‘The Jenners building is an institution and, despite the changing face of retail, it is our aspiration that there will continue to be a retail store for as long as we are its stewards.’