Jenners closes airport shops

Published on Saturday 21 April 2007 01:00

JENNERS is to close its shops at Edinburgh and Glasgow airports following a drop in sales caused by tighter security rules, which include a ban on taking liquids over 100ml through screening areas.

An announcement to staff yesterday confirmed the closures at the end of September, with those not taking redundancy being redeployed.

A spokeswoman for House of Fraser, which owns Jenners, said: "Since the measures to heighten security at airports have been taken, our business at airport stores have been hugely affected. As a result of passengers being restricted in the amount they can carry through security areas... trade and profitability of both airport stores has been detrimentally impacted."

Paul Freathy, a professor of retail marketing at the University of Stirling, said: "The security restrictions on liquids and the one-piece-of-luggage rule has had a negative impact on sale at airport shops in the UK.

"It is nonsensical because it doesn't apply to other parts of Europe, meaning passengers will buy items such as cashmere further into their journey."