Independent watch and jewellery retailer WATCHO has acquired Peter Jackson the Jeweller in Blackburn and Preston, as founder Peter Jackson retires following more than four decades at the forefront of North West retail. The stores will continue to trade without interruption, with the existing team transferring to the new ownership.
WATCHO, currently operating stores in Milton Keynes and Richmond, London, is an award-winning independent brand known for its premium watch and jewellery offer, customer service excellence and established brand partnership programme. The Preston acquisition, alongside the concurrent acquisition of the Blackburn store, marks WATCHO’s entry into the North West market and expands its retail estate to four stores.
Peter Jackson the Jeweller has traded in Blackburn and Preston for over 44 years, becoming one of the region’s most established watch and jewellery destinations. The stores carry a portfolio of leading Swiss and international brands and have developed a loyal customer base built on decades of specialist service and community presence.
All customer-facing staff will remain in post, ensuring continuity of client relationships and product expertise from day one of the new ownership. The store’s brand authorisations and dealer relationships will be maintained through the transition.
Peter Jackson said: “I am delighted to announce that our beautiful shops in Preston and Blackburn will be under new ownership from Monday 20 July. WATCHO, an established and respected family jeweller, will bring with them new ideas and collections and take the business forward to its next chapter. The management and staff will remain and look forward to welcoming you as always.”
Pradip Sarda, co-founder of WATCHO, said: “Preston and Blackburn have supported Peter Jackson for 44 years. We are acquiring these stores as custodians of what Peter has built and to honour the loyalty of the long-standing customers. The team stays, the standards stay, and the brands stay. What we bring is investment in the customer experience, the introduction of our Watch Heritage Events programme, and the backing of a well-established independent with a strong track record of growing brand partnerships.”
WATCHO plans to extend its Watch Heritage Events programme to Blackburn and Preston, a series of brand-focused and collector-led evenings that the company delivers across its estate, alongside broader investment in customer engagement, in-store presentation and brand development at the stores.
The dual acquisition of Peter Jackson Blackburn and Peter Jackson Preston marks a significant expansion for WATCHO and establishes the company as a growing independent force in the North West watch and jewellery market.
