1st May 1838

Jenners opens on Princes Street

Jenners Department Store, originally known as Kennington & Jenner, was opened on Princes Street by Charles Jenner and Charles Kennington.

An advertisement for Kennington & Jenners appeared on the front page of The Scotsman on 12 May 1938. “This Establishment being newly opened, and the Stock having been purchased very recently, every novelty in the fashionable materials for Dress will be found in profusion, and also a most complete assortment of linen, drapery, hosiery, gloves and lace,” it said. “Great care has been bestowed in selecting a quality of Goods that will give satisfaction, and Low Prices form the characteristic feature of the entire stock.”

Jenners reborn

The building in which it was founded burned down in 1892, but the Scottish institution remained on site, and built new premises, which opened three years later.

On 28 November 1892, the Edinburgh Evening News reported that the fire, which had broken out two days previously, had entirely destroyed the building and caused damage “estimated as something like £250,000, which is covered by insurance in over 20 offices. Nothing like the fire has been seen in Edinburgh since, 28 years ago, the gutta percha works were burned down.”

Jenners was sold to the House of Fraser group in 2005, which later became part of Sports Direct. In January 2021, after a year in which many large retail businesses suffered due to quarantines and lockdowns as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, Jenners’ closure was officially announced.