Patrick Thomson

Patrick Thomson was a historic department store in Edinburgh, Scotland. The business began in 1889 as a small haberdashery and drapery shop on South Bridge. As its reputation and customer base expanded, it moved to a substantially larger site at 15 North Bridge, at the southern end of North Bridge. The new premises enabled the retailer to develop into a broad department store with approximately 60 departments. The store operated in a highly competitive Edinburgh retail environment. Its rivals included established department stores and specialist retailers such as Jenners, R W Forsyth and Robert Maule & Son on Princes Street; J & R Allan and Peter Allan on South Bridge; Goldbergs in Tollcross; and Parkers on Bristo Street. Patrick Thomson positioned itself as a major local shopping destination and used the promotional description “The Shopping Centre of Scotland.” Customers also referred to the business affectionately as “PTs.” In 1926, Patrick Thomson was acquired by the newly formed Scottish Drapery Corporation, a holding company created to bring together retail interests in the Scottish drapery trade. The store continued operating under the Patrick Thomson name after the acquisition. In 1952, the Scottish Drapery Corporation was itself purchased by House of Fraser, bringing Patrick Thomson into the House of Fraser group. The Edinburgh store nevertheless retained its established identity for a further period. House of Fraser reorganised its retail operations during the 1970s. As part of that restructuring, the Patrick Thomson department store was closed and reopened under the Arnotts name in 1976. The replacement store continued trading as Arnotts until 1982, when the retail operation closed. The building subsequently returned to use in 1984 as the Carlton Hotel. Patrick Thomson is therefore a defunct local department-store brand whose history reflects the consolidation of Scottish retail businesses, the expansion of department-store formats, and the later rationalisation of inherited store identities within a national retail group.

Patrick Thomson's documented history began in 1889, when a small haberdashery and drapery shop opened on South Bridge in Edinburgh. The original business appears to have established a strong enough local following to require larger premises. It subsequently relocated to 15 North Bridge, at the southern end of North Bridge, where it could operate on a much larger scale. The North Bridge site supported the transformation of Patrick Thomson from a small specialist shop into a department store. The retailer eventually expanded to approximately 60 departments, offering a wide selection associated with the department-store model. Its growth placed it among Edinburgh's notable retailers and brought it into competition with a range of department stores and specialist businesses located around Princes Street, South Bridge, Tollcross and Bristo Street. The store was also known informally as “PTs.” and promoted itself as “The Shopping Centre of Scotland,” signalling an ambition to serve as a comprehensive regional shopping destination rather than merely a neighbourhood shop. In 1926, Patrick Thomson was purchased by the Scottish Drapery Corporation, a newly formed holding company. The acquisition changed the ownership structure but did not immediately eliminate the Patrick Thomson trading identity. The store continued to operate under its established name, retaining its place in Edinburgh's retail landscape. A further ownership change took place in 1952, when House of Fraser acquired the Scottish Drapery Corporation. Patrick Thomson consequently became part of House of Fraser's expanding group of department-store interests. The business continued operating as Patrick Thomson after the acquisition, demonstrating that the parent company initially preserved the local store's existing identity. During the 1970s, House of Fraser reorganised its retail operations into several operating brands. In that process, the Patrick Thomson name was discontinued at the Edinburgh site. The store reopened as an Arnotts in 1976, replacing the historic local identity with another retail name within the wider group structure. Arnotts remained at the location until the store closed in 1982. The building was later repurposed. In 1984 it reopened as the Carlton Hotel, ending the site's use as the Patrick Thomson department store and subsequently as an Arnotts retail outlet. Patrick Thomson is therefore no longer an operating retailer. Its significance lies in the development of Edinburgh department-store retail, the consolidation of Scottish drapery businesses under the Scottish Drapery Corporation and House of Fraser, and the eventual replacement of a locally recognised trading name during corporate retail reorganisation.

• 1984

  Conversion to the Carlton Hotel

  [1]Patrick Thomsonen.wikipedia.org

  The building reopened as the Carlton Hotel, ending the site's department-store use.

• 1982

  Closure of the Arnotts store

  [1]Patrick Thomsonen.wikipedia.org

  The successor Arnotts retail operation at the site closed.

• 1976

  Reopening as Arnotts

  [1]Patrick Thomsonen.wikipedia.org

  Following House of Fraser's retail reorganisation, the Patrick Thomson store closed and reopened under the Arnotts name.

• 1952

  Entry into House of Fraser ownership

  [1]Patrick Thomsonen.wikipedia.org

  House of Fraser purchased the Scottish Drapery Corporation, making Patrick Thomson part of the House of Fraser group.

• 1926

  Acquisition by Scottish Drapery Corporation

  [1]Patrick Thomsonen.wikipedia.org

  Patrick Thomson was acquired by the newly formed Scottish Drapery Corporation holding company.

• 1889

  Opening of the original shop

  [1]Patrick Thomsonen.wikipedia.org

  Patrick Thomson began as a small haberdashery and drapery shop on South Bridge in Edinburgh.

• Move to North Bridge

  [1]Patrick Thomsonen.wikipedia.org

  The growing business moved from South Bridge to a larger store at 15 North Bridge, enabling its development into a major department store.

• Expansion into a large department store

  [1]Patrick Thomsonen.wikipedia.org

  The North Bridge operation expanded to approximately 60 departments and competed with leading Edinburgh retailers.

A large Edinburgh department store serving as a broad shopping destination across clothing, haberdashery, drapery and other department-store categories. Its historical promotional positioning described it as “The Shopping Centre of Scotland.”

• Textile and sewing retail · 1889

  Haberdashery

  Haberdashery was part of Patrick Thomson's original retail offer when the business opened on South Bridge in 1889. As the shop expanded into a department store, this category formed part of its broader merchandise mix.

• Textile retail · 1889

  Drapery

  Drapery was the other principal category identified with the original Patrick Thomson shop. The business developed from this specialist foundation into a much larger department-store operation with approximately 60 departments.

• Department-store retail

  Patrick Thomson department-store assortment

  At its North Bridge location, Patrick Thomson operated as a broad department store rather than a single-category retailer. The available historical account records approximately 60 departments, but does not provide a complete category-by-category inventory.

• 1976

  Replacement of the Patrick Thomson identity with ArnottsStrategy

  Background

  House of Fraser reorganised its retail operations during the 1970s into several operating brands.

  Action taken

  The Patrick Thomson store was closed and reopened as an Arnotts.

  Aftermath

  The Patrick Thomson brand ceased trading at the site. Arnotts operated there until the store closed in 1982, after which the building was converted into the Carlton Hotel in 1984.

  Source

• 1952

  House of Fraser acquisition of the parent companyM&A

  Background

  The Scottish Drapery Corporation owned Patrick Thomson when House of Fraser expanded its ownership interests in Scottish retail.

  Action taken

  House of Fraser purchased the Scottish Drapery Corporation, thereby acquiring Patrick Thomson as part of the transaction.

  Aftermath

  Patrick Thomson continued operating under its own name after entering the House of Fraser group.

  Source

• 1926

  Acquisition by Scottish Drapery CorporationM&A

  Background

  Patrick Thomson had developed from a small South Bridge shop into a substantial Edinburgh department store before being acquired by the newly formed Scottish Drapery Corporation.

  Action taken

  The Scottish Drapery Corporation purchased Patrick Thomson and continued the store's operation under its established trading name.

  Aftermath

  The acquisition placed Patrick Thomson within a larger Scottish retail holding structure while preserving its local identity for the time being.

  Source

1. 1Patrick Thomsonen.wikipedia.org