GLASGOW is to get its first Asian-themed shopping mall - and it will be launched in the building previously used by the House of Sher cash-and-carry.

The empty building in Wallace Street, Tradeston, has been snapped up by Sher Brothers after one of its subsidiary companies went bust with debts of almost £1million.

Managing director Munawar Hayat bought the four-storey property for more than £800,000 just weeks after the House of Sher was put into voluntary administration.

The building now belongs to House of Sher (Malls) Ltd.

The new firm was set up last month by 67-year-old Mr Hayat, who is the sole director.

Imtiaz Sher, financial controller for Sher Brothers, said: "We plan to transform the site into Glasgow's first Asian-themed shopping mall.

"But it won't just be for Asians to showcase a variety of goods. Scottish people will also be taking out units and we already have an operator signed up to provide a Continental-style supermarket."

The supermarket and 40 units will operate in the building's basement and ground floor. If the venture is successful the mall will be extended to other floors.

Mr Sher also revealed plans to open a ladies-only gym and said every effort would be made to rehire more than 40 workers made redundant before the cash-and-carry closed in January.

He said: "We want to try to give people their jobs back and hope to launch the mall in June."

The move follows the collapse of what used to be one of Glasgow's most popular cash and carry stores.

It was launched in 1985 and specialised in upmarket DIY products and fancy goods.

But customer numbers had dropped dramatically in recent years at a time of growing competition from online shopping.

Both factors were blamed for the decision to axe the business just weeks before a £100,000 rates bill was due.

However, more than 20 parties almost immediately expressed an interest in buying up the building, which led to administrator Ian Wright, of Glasgow-based WRI Associates, setting a closing date for bids, with a guide price of £850,000.

Mr Wright said the winning bid came "very close" to that and added: "I am delighted at the speed with which we managed to bring this to a conclusion.

"I expect the sale to result in a significant return for creditors, which will include HMRC and various trade suppliers, as well as other Sher Group companies."

Several other subsidiaries within the group of companies operated by Sher Brothers had ploughed tens of thousands of pounds into the ailing House of Sher in an abortive attempt to save the business.

The Shers were among the first immigrants from Pakistan to settle in the Glasgow area.

Mr Hayat's uncle, Sher Mohammad, and his brother came to Scotland in the late 1930s and began selling ladies' stockings door-to-door on credit. By 1950 they had made enough money to launch Sher Brothers, a retail outlet in the Gorbals.

Over the decades Sher Brothers launched a series of subsidiaries. Its HQ is in Stromness Street, Tradeston.

gordon.thomson@eveningtimes.co.uk