City's grand old lady has a makeover

IT'S the grand old lady of Princes Street, the "Harrods of the north", where generations have shopped or enjoyed a cup of tea and a scone and the excellent service.

First opening its doors the year after a young Queen Victoria came to the throne, it is about to celebrate its 170th anniversary – by taking a leap further into the 21st century.

The store today unveiled details of a £3 million refurbishment aimed at meeting the growing competition from rivals such as Harvey Nichols and John Lewis.

There have been murmurs in recent years, particularly since the Douglas-Miller family sold the store to the House of Fraser, that things are not quite what they used to be.

The talk has been of Jenners losing touch with its customers and the service slipping from it's once sky-high standards.

So will this 170th anniversary revamp help return Edinburgh's most famous department store to the top of the tree?

"People use the word a lot but I really do believe that Jenners is an institution," says general manager George Bell, who talks in terms of evolution rather than revolution.

"It means a great deal to the people of Edinburgh. We've got a fantastic historical store but it is a bit outmoded and we really wanted to maintain that tradition but with a modern twist."

As a man who has spent more than 30 years working for House of Fraser, he knows precisely what his employers will expect when the wrapping comes off the revamped departments in time for its anniversary celebrations in October.

What may be more difficult will be keeping Jenners' traditional customers happy while also attracting younger shoppers through the doors.

"Our customer is still very much steeped in that history," says the 60-year-old, acknowledging the balancing act. "We want to retain that tradition and heritage and it will always be Jenners but now it's Jenners, a House of Fraser store.

"I know people don't like change but some things, because they are outmoded, we do have to change."

While the fact the building is A-listed means the jumbled layout, with its many rooms, stairways and lifts, cannot be changed, George believes customers will be able to make more sense of where things are. For example, the stationery department in the basement will be moved to the second floor where the pens are already displayed, leaving room for extra ranges in the newly-created "children's world" of toys and clothes.

In the iconic grand hall, the worn blue carpets, that have been a feature for 40 years, will be replaced with clean cream tiles and lights will highlight the room's wooden beams and eaves. Like all department stores though, the perfumery and cosmetics will remain next to the main entrance – employing an industry-wide tactic aimed at luring in women shoppers.

It will undergo a refit which will leave it looking more like the same department in rival Harvey Nicks.

George won't talk in figures about how Jenners is doing under its new ownership, but adds the facelift and investment in new services, like the imminent introduction of wedding lists – altogether worth a total of £4.5m – is a sign that House of Fraser is "pleased with the turnover".

And while he's aware of public opinion, George is quick to point out that customer service is a priority and is checked five times a month by mystery shoppers – a test he says staff pass with flying colours.

Many Jenners stalwarts do retain a certain loyalty to the store. Yvonne Ingram, 65, a retired teacher, of Swanston, says: "Jenners was the ultimate shopping destination. In recent years, it did lose its touch, but so too have most retailers.

"Out of all the stores in Edinburgh, I still think Jenners is the best in terms of offering and customer service. Marks & Spencer is now thin on the ground with staff, while other stores have a self-service image."

Karen McKay, 56, a housewife, of Fairmilehead, adds: "I do think Jenners lost its way along the road but it's not indicative of a problem with just Jenners but more a change in trends from then to now.

"It's exciting to hear that Jenners are having a revamp. Maybe they will steal John Lewis' crown."

The path which Jenners is treading is the right one according to Edinburgh-based fashion expert Merle Brown.

"I think maybe for a while Jenners was in the fashion wilderness in terms of the high end of what young people wanted," says Merle. "I think it's maybe had a bit of a shove since the opening of Harvey Nichols as well."

Merle, however, warns that Jenners will have to be careful not to become too fashion orientated – the mistake Marks & Spencer made a few years ago which alienated older customers.

"I think they are doing well in terms of carrying brands that are unique to it and I think it still does attract the older customer that will always go there for tea and a wee look around and that's really important."