Marks & Spencer had big news to share today, and while much of it was positive there was an undeniable element of sadness and disappointment about it too.
On the plus side, the high-street giant revealed it was investing £30 million to enhance its bricks and mortar presence in Scotland over the next 18 months, between extending existing stores and opening five new outlets.
The plans include an investment of £15m to nearly double its store at Union Square in Aberdeen, creating a new flagship home in the city with the addition of new foodhall and extended clothing and homeware departments.
But while this can be seen as positive for those who shop and work in this M&S store, the news for one of its sister outlets in the Granite City was entirely different. Towards the bottom end of a press release heralding its store investment, M&S announced that when the project to revamp its Union Square outlet completes in the spring of 2025, its store on St Nicholas Street – a fixture in the city since 1944 – will be closing down.
READ MORE: Marks & Spencer to close major store in Aberdeen city centre
On the employment front, most of the jobs at St Nicholas Street will be maintained. M&S said the 155 people who work permanently at the shop will be offered the chance to transfer to Union Square or to other stores nearby, which is presumably welcome news. But the future would appear to be a lot less certain for the 29 staff who work on contracts there. Those people will rightly be worried about the future.
Beyond such justifiable concerns, there are likely to be people in Aberdeen who feel saddened at the loss of another major department store in the city centre, following the loss of Debenhams, John Lewis, Esslemont & Macintosh, and House of Fraser over the years.
The decline of Union Street has been a source of sadness to Aberdonians over recent years and while more recently there have been laudable attempts to revive its fortunes, the loss of Marks & Spencer from St Nicholas Street is a significant blow to those hoping for brighter days for the famous thoroughfare.
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