Scotland’s largest Next store opened in Aberdeen last week (August 6), launching a new design concept in the UK for the high street fashion and home chain. This is the latest in a string of new openings for top brand names in the city, demonstrating the strength of Aberdeen’s retail sector as it continues to be more resistant to the effects of the recession.
The flagship store is located on the upper mall of Aberdeen’s Bon Accord Centre, and has almost 30,000 square feet of trading space - three times the size of the combined floor space of the two existing Next shops in Aberdeen’s St Nicholas Centre. The store features new displays, graphics and materials, and is the first UK store to introduce a shoe lounge.
Karen Millen opened its first store out of the central belt in the Aberdeen shopping centre last April, exceeding sales targets in its first week by more than 140%, while Oasis, Warehouse and Coast all beat expected sales targets when they opened enlarged stores in May.
Leading luxury shoe retailer, Kurt Geiger, is set to open its first Scottish boutique outside the central belt at the end of the month, and will be joined by new stores for Topshop, Topman and River Island.
Cheryl Baer, marketing manager of the Bon Accord & St Nicholas Centre in Aberdeen said: “The latest stores to open in Aberdeen’s Bon Accord Centre all delivered very strong performances in their first few weeks of trading, and there has been a fantastic buzz in the centres since these stores opened.
We are in negotiation with a number of stores which are new to the city, and the overall impression they are reporting is that Aberdeen offers a real opportunity.”
Rita Stephen, Development Manager for Aberdeen City and Shire Economic Future (ACSEF), said: “The new stores are a testament to the confidence retailers have in Aberdeen and have given a new impetus to the retail offering in the city. Aberdeen has suffered in the last few years with a lack of choice in the retail sector, particularly in its range of mid to premium high street fashion stores. These investments keep retail expenditure in the city and provide a much needed incentive to local shoppers to avoid travelling elsewhere in search of up to date fashion.”
Due to be completed this Autumn, Hammerson’s £250m Union Square project will provide Scotland's second-largest shopping centre, complete with a multiplex cinema and links to a new transport hub at the nearby Aberdeen railway station and the new bus station.
Of the retailers and eateries signed up to the development this year, 80% of the brands are new to Aberdeen with Bestseller, Apple, Azendi and Yo! Sushi making Union Square only their second retail location in Scotland.
Other retailers opening their first Aberdeen store in Union Square include, Zara, Cult, Mamas & Papas, Cotswold and Instyle Furniture, as well as new restaurants Nando's and ASK.
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