Closure of historic store sees the loss of 130 jobs

AN historic Scottish department store with shops across the country is to close, with 130 staff facing redundancy.

Family-run McEwens of Perth, which opened almost 150 years ago, has two outlets in the city as well as premises in Oban, Argyll and Bute, and Ballater, Aberdeenshire.

Owners John and Georgina Bullough said yesterday: “It is with great sadness and regret that we have had to put McEwens of Perth into administration today.

“Despite our exhaustive search for investor and partner solutions, all negotiations with the bank have failed and unfortunately we have run out of options.

“Our thoughts are with all 130 wonderful McEwens staff who face redundancy. We are grateful to them for their hard work and all our friends and colleagues for their advice and support.”

Administrators at KPMG said 64 employees had been made redundant immediately and the stores in Ballater and Oban had closed down with immediate effect. Branches in Inverness and Aberdeen shut down last year.

The flagship store in Perth, which has a restaurant, hair salon and medi-spa, will re-open today for a closing down sale.

Finance Secretary John Swinney said he was “very sorry” to hear the store had gone into administration.

He tweeted: “Worrying time for staff and I will do all I can to find a solution.”

McEwens first opened in Perth in 1868 and the original shop still stands on the same site . A fter the Bullough family bought the business in 1982, they expanded, opening a shop in Inverness in 2000 and expanding and relocating their Ballater store in 2007.