SELFRIDGES, the upmarket department store, is to open a branch in Glasgow, further enhancing the city's reputation as the biggest retail centre in Britain outside London.
The new store in the Merchant City is a major coup for Glasgow, following the opening of Harvey Nichols' first Scottish store in Edinburgh last month.
Selfridges announced yesterday that the (pounds) 90m Glasgow store, its fifth in the UK, could create almost 1000 jobs and will be built in Trongate on the site of the old Goldbergs and Weisfeld stores. It is expected to open early in 2007
Peter Williams, the finance director of Selfridges, said yesterday: ''Our store in Glasgow will be four times bigger than the Harvey Nichols in Edinburgh.''
Asked if the company had considered locating the store in Edinburgh, he said: ''No, we never did. Glasgow is a much bigger retail centre - it is the second best in the UK, whereas Edinburgh is something like fourteenth.
''It's a great opportunity for Selfridges. Glasgow is a fantastic and vibrant city, the people who live there are very fashion- conscious and that's what we're all about.''
Mr Williams added: ''We think it(Glasgow) suits our profile - a more urban, city centre image - better than Edinburgh would.
''We are delighted to have acquired this prime site. We think Glasgow is a fantastic city,'' he said.
Steven Purcell, convener of the development and regeneration services committee, said that the announcement reinforced Glasgow's position as the number two shopping city in Britain.
''The city council are leading a regeneration programme for the Merchant City and Trongate, and this announcement will go a long way to make the programme a success.''
Paul Freathy, professor of retail management at Stirling University said Glasgow was repositioning itself as a London of the north.
''The city is trying to shed itself of old traditional images and Selfridges fits in as another in the growing portfolio of anchor stores. I dare say the city would also have been an ideal location for Harvey Nichols.
''If Glasgow can position itself with a wider range of stores, people in the suburbs and from Edinburgh, Perth and Stirling will be more likely to travel in. This move seems to be part of a strategy to achieve that.''
Selfridges paid (pounds) 15.3m for the Glasgow site, which is included in the estimated (pounds) 90m total cost of development and store fitting.
It is hoped that planning approval will be obtained within a year and that a ''world-class architect'' will develop the site.
Vittorio Radice, the chief executive of Selfridges, said: ''We are delighted to have secured this site for our fifth store, and to be playing a major role in the regeneration of Trongate and the Merchant CIty. This site will enable us to construct a new and exciting landmark building alongside Glasgow's existing architectural heritage.''
A new Selfridges store is also scheduled to open in September next year in Birmingham, and the company is also looking to establish stores in Bristol, Leeds, and Newcastle within the next few years.
Selfridges has two stores in Manchester at the Trafford Centre and Exchange Square and in Oxford Street, London. The firm's latest announcement said its pre-tax profits had risen from (pounds) 15.2m to (pounds) 15.8m.
Julia Bowe, marketing director for Harvey Nichols said: ''Selfridges have wisely followed us in seeing potential in Scotland, which up until now has been poorly serviced by retail.''
''We have always recognised that there is a designer customer north of Watford, and the fact that our Edinburgh sales have exceeded all expectations shows the demand is there for these stores.''
counter culture
Selfridges in London has 500,000sq ft trading space.
The company has had a successful year, compared with a slightly wavering Harvey Nichols.
It was founded in 1909 by Gordon Selfridge, an entrepreneur from Chicago
Its first store in Oxford Street, London, opened in 1909, and was the largest building designed to be a single store.
It employs more than 2000 staff at Oxford Street alone.
Vittorio Radice, chief executive, is credited as having transformed the store from a ''comfy old cardigan'' store to a ''big sexy giant''.
It has three stores in the UK - Manchester (Trafford Centre and Exchange Square) and Oxford Street.
Calls itself ''a vibrant community centre''.
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