LONDON — Andrew Keith, whose previous roles embrace chief govt officer of Selfridges and president of Lane Crawford and Joyce, will tackle the problem of reworking the historic Jenners division retailer website in Edinburgh into a brand new retail and hospitality hub.
Keith has been tapped by the constructing’s house owners, AAA United, to guide the landmark venture within the Scottish capital. Jenners, which closed in 2020 for refurbishment, was one of many oldest malls on the planet, and well-known for its lavish Victorian woodwork, interiors and old-world appeal.
AAA United is an actual property firm owned by the Danish retail tycoon Anders Holch Povlsen, Scotland’s largest landowner, the proprietor of the Bestseller clothes chain, and a serious investor in on-line retailers Asos and Zalando.
The intention is to rework Jenners right into a “world-class retail and hospitality vacation spot, whereas being respectful to its traditions, historical past and architectural heritage,” in line with AAA United.
Keith, who left Selfridges in late July, will take up his submit in early 2025.
“As a local of Edinburgh, I’m properly conscious of the position that Jenners has performed within the industrial and cultural lifetime of town, and certainly of Scotland and the world past. Our mission is to have an effect past the constructing itself, and to ship long-term industrial and social worth by introducing modern merchandise that can excite prospects, and have interaction with the area people,” he mentioned.
Jenners has been an Edinburgh landmark because it opened in 1838, and has been situated on the identical nook website in Princes Avenue ever since. It was Scotland’s oldest impartial division retailer till it was acquired by Home of Fraser in 2005.
In 2017, the constructing was bought by AAA United, which all the time had a grand imaginative and prescient for the house.
Anders Krogh of AAA United mentioned when the corporate acquired the Jenners constructing, “we knew that it got here with a substantial amount of accountability. We’re absolutely devoted to honoring this constructing and its place inside the way forward for Edinburgh, and our proposals will be sure that members of the general public proceed to take pleasure in this iconic constructing and its services for a few years to return.”
Keith joined Selfridges in 2020 and led the shop by way of some of the difficult intervals in its historical past whereas additionally championing its bold inexperienced agenda. His tenure encompassed COVID-19-related lockdown and journey restrictions, the sale of Selfridges, the chapter of its co-owner Signa, and a spherical of layoffs introduced earlier this 12 months.
He was succeeded by André Maeder, CEO of Selfridges Group.
Earlier than becoming a member of Selfridges, Keith had spent a lot of his profession in Hong Kong, the place he rose to develop into president of Lane Crawford and Joyce.
As president of Lane Crawford, he spearheaded the shop’s transfer to omnichannel and led its growth in mainland China with flagship openings in Shanghai in 2013 and Chengdu in 2014, on high of its unique Beijing location.
The renewal of Jenners comes at a pivotal time for Edinburgh, with large manufacturers resembling Gucci opening shops and growing their retail presence within the metropolis.
