Laings has completed a major refurbishment of its flagship Glasgow showroom, with Rolex and Patek Philippe given larger, identically sized, branded areas.
The re-opening comes a little more than a year after Laings of Glasgow acquired Laings of Edinburgh and Parkhouse to reunite two halves of the jewellery and watch business that were grown under the stewardship of brothers Stewart Laing, OBE, and Michael Laing, OBE, before they both retired.
In an interview with WatchPro earlier this year, Joe Walsh, managing director of Laings, said the refurbishment would increase the ground floor retail space of the Argyll Arcade store by around 50%.
Patek Philippe and Rolex branded spaces use furniture and fixture from the Swiss giants, and will have a larger stock of watches.
Balancing the prominence of the prestige watches, Laings has expanded a first floor private suite where its Bespoke Jewellery Design Team and the Valuations service will meet customers.
Laings is now one of the largest family-owned jewellery companies in the UK, with seven stores in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Southampton.
Every store has now been re-branded as Laings, and can be promoted with national advertising campaigns for the first time.
Mr Walsh says he will be promoting Laings with marketing spend of around £1 million per year.
Claire Ross, general manager in the Glasgow store says she is delighted with the flagship expansion. “We’ve gained so much more selling space, allowing clients to experience a more relaxed environment and the indulgent surroundings certainly set the scene.”
“We’re looking forward to new and returning customers coming through the door to experience what will truly be a memorable occasion,” she adds.
