Staff and customers told of their devastation after Glasgow shopping institution Watt Brothers was plunged into administration.

There were tears, shock and disbelief as the news was broken yesterday, with stunned workers left to console one another.
Without any warning staff and customers were told to leave the Sauchiehall Street store as administrators KMPG moved in on the 104 year-old business, with hundreds of jobs already cut. 

Crowds gathered as word filtered through about the stricken store, which has been at the heart of the famous street for decades.

The announcement was made throughout the building just before 10am.

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Just an hour later, staff from Watt Brothers left through the side entrance of the store to Hope Street.

The firm was incorporated in 1915 and sells a range of branded electrical, homeware and fashion products.

It also has a further 10 leasehold stores located across central Scotland, including Lanark, Falkirk, Hamilton and Clydebank.

Administrators said they had no option other than to make 229 of the 306 employees redundant with immediate effect.

Staff said they had been banned from speaking to the press by bosses, while other workers were herded into the   entrance of the closed store.

The Herald understands that some members of staff were asked to stay behind for stocktaking purposes, while others had been sent home in tears.

Other workers, based at the Willow Tea Rooms in the upper floor of the Sauchiehall Street building, also remained and said they were staying for the rest of their shifts. 

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They said they were currently unaware as to how the eatery will be affected.

With many loyal customers, members of the public quizzed each other as they crowded around the window, perplexed at the situation.

Many had come into the city centre to shop at Watt Brothers, as they had done for decades.

Maureen Brown had come in to visit the store and tearoom on her birthday. 
She said a petition should be started to try and rejuvenate the business.

The 74-year-old said: “It would be sad to see it go like all the big stores. You used to have all the shops, it would take you all day to do Sauchiehall Street, now you can do it in five minutes.”

The city’s business community have also shared their disappointment at the news.

Glasgow Chamber of Commerce’s chief executive, Stuart Patrick, said: “This is very sad news.

“Our thoughts are with the Watt Brothers management and staff at the Glasgow flagship store and at the company’s other locations.

“Also the loss of such a long-established and well-loved business is an obvious blow to Sauchiehall Street in particular as the street fights back from bad times.”

But the thought of Sauchiehall Street without Watt Brothers is a sad reality for some who have known nothing else.

One lady, 70, had been shopping at the store for more than half a century. She said it was the last of the “classic department stores to leave Sauchiehall Street”.

She added: “It is the last of the real shops you could come to and get a variety of reasonable quality goods, all in the one place. 

“It’s the workers you feel it for. It was instant. How would you feel, in work and sent out again that day?”

Jean Connell, 67, a customer for more than 50 years, said: “I’m shocked, I’ve always shopped here. It’s horrible, you get lots of good things in it. I know a couple of the girls, I wish I could get hold of them. It’s such a shame.”