Aberdeen footballing icon Willie Miller is helping offer till tactics to shoppers kicking about Union Square.
Customers in Aberdeen’s biggest shopping centre were questioned on their game plan today by the Gothenburg Great.
The former Aberdeen FC captain was assisting visitors by offering advice for getting their Christmas shopping done efficiently and also pointing out new venues.
Mr Miller admitted retail circuit training was a new kind of coaching for him, but that he “hadn’t been shown the door yet”.
‘Don’t shop like a headless chicken’
He said: “Shopping tactics is new to me, I must admit, but I’m doing my best. I think probably at the end of it all, I’ll get sacked in the morning, but I’m giving it 100%.”
While many may argue, and rightfully so, that Christmas shopping is very different to football, the Dons legend said for both, you need some sort of game plan.
“When you go shopping, you do have to have a little bit of tactics,” he added.
“First of all you’ve got to decide on a destination and Union Square is a great destination. But once you get here, what do you do?
“Do you just run about like a headless chicken and go from shop to shop? I wouldn’t think that’s how most people shop, they have a plan. ”
Mr Miller said many of the people he was speaking to appeared to have a plan in place but that he was able to point out some new additions to the venue.
These included stores and businesses such as Quiz, Chisholm Hunter, Rituals Cosmetics, Menkind and Barburitto.
Shopping centres have an important part to play
With a lot of money being invested in Union Street and the Beach Masterplan to help regenerate Aberdeen, Mr Miller said shopping centres also help impact a city’s atmosphere.
“I think the environment we live in is really important,” he added.
“Malls have an important part to play. Union Square, in terms of getting people in and out and helping the environment, is brilliantly placed for that.
“I do think that when you live in a big city like Aberdeen, you want it to look good, you want it to be a place that you can enjoy living and staying in. You want it to be a place that you can go and enjoy, an environment like Union Square.
“It’s difficult times we all know that but if you’ve got a venue like this, I think it puts a smile on everybody’s face.”
Union Square is open for extended hours during the festive season which can be found on the website.