One of the largest empty retail units in Perth city centre is to become occupied again.
The McEwens of Perth building in St John Street has been vacant for more than three years.
McEwens department store shut its doors in 2016 after nearly 150 years of trading in the city.
The 45,000 sq ft store was then occupied by Beales, which opened on the site in November 2017.
But it remained open for little over two years until it too went into administration at the start of 2020.
Now, in a boost for the city centre, a Tayside business has announced its intention to bring the building back into use.
New shop plans
The new occupier will be Bliss Beds, which currently operates a shop at the Wellgate Shopping Centre in Dundee.
Owner James Gallacher plans to invest around £200,000 in a refurbishment and stock for the new venture.
He said: “We’ve been looking to get into Perth – our advert on STV is shown there and we do a lot of deliveries to the city.
“We looked at a few premises including a former bank and the vaccination centre. It was while we were here we wondered about the McEwens building.
“It’s bigger than we need but the owners were keen to get a deal done. The way we’ve structured the deal means we have two or three years to grow into the store and try different things.”
Other businesses to move into McEwens of Perth building
Bliss Beds will sell beds, mattresses, bedroom furniture and sofas.
Mr Gallacher – who runs the business with his father Gary and brothers Liam and Gary – received the keys on Friday.
He now plans to clear out, paint and fit out the premises with the intention of opening in September.
The business will also recruit for staff, starting with a store manager.
Mr Gallacher said the business ethos is to “provide good quality beds and furniture that rivals big chain stores”.
He also intends to offer space in the building to other businesses.
“We’d have space to have 10 or 20 local artisan crafters who could pay a small amount of money for space within the store,” he said. “This would also bring in more people.
“There’s also a café on the top floor which we might sublet.
“We will soon be recruiting for a manager and other staff.”
Bliss Beds is also in the process of moving into larger premises in the Wellgate Shopping Centre in Dundee.
