A mother-and-daughter duo are “buzzing” at the thought of turning one of Union Street’s many empty units into a new fashion shop.
LoLo and Co was established by Rose and Lauren Reid in July 2019, who spotted a gap in the market when it came to clothes shops for ladies of all ages in Aberdeen.
They snapped up the site of a former cat cafe on the Netherkirkgate, next to the Illicit Still, to start their own business.
But with the loss of big draws to that area, with John Lewis shutting and a number of closures in the Bon Accord Centre, the pair are now planning to relocate.
And they told us that they are excited to play their part in rejuvenating the struggling Granite Mile.
What are the new Lolo and Co plans for Aberdeen city centre?
The 226 Union Street premises was previously a vape shop, and a TSB prior to that.
Mum Rose worked in banking before, so taking over the historic bank building might feel appropriate.
All that time, she “dreamed of owning her own shop”, but it was daughter Lauren’s drive that helped turn that into a reality.
And Lauren, who studied law and management, has “always had a keen interest in working within the fashion industry”.
The independent fashion boutique was started to “bring more variety to female shoppers in the city centre”.
They began forming plans for the move earlier this year, and bought the building in question as things became more serious.
‘We want to help bring people back to Union Street’
Sheltering from Storm Babet at the city centre store on Friday afternoon, Lauren tells me this is something that has been “months in the making”.
She explains: “We don’t get the same footfall here that we used to, and we want to widen our customer base.
“We think that end of Union Street, near the west end, will suit us as there are a lot of other independent stores. As a group, I think we’ll bounce off each other well.”
Lauren admits it might “sound corny” as she adds that she is “passionate about getting Union Street back to how it used to be”.
“It could be such a great street”, she says.
“And we are willing to do what we can to bring more footfall there.”
When might it open?
The unit will need a lot of TLC before becoming the new Lolo and Co shop.
“There’s a lot of work needing done, but it would be amazing to be in for Christmas…”
Rose and Lauren promise that the bigger space will create room for more brands, though they’re tight-lipped about who they have signed up (for now).
What shops would you like to see open on Union Street? Let us know in our comments section below
Blueprints submitted to Aberdeen City Council indicate how the “unsympathetic” green vape signs would be removed from the front of the C-listed building.
You can see the Lolo and Co plans for Aberdeen city centre here.
Read more about efforts to regenerate Union Street:
- First minister Humza Yousaf this week announced a £400,000 cash injection for the Our Union Street taskforce
- An army of volunteers are ready to start cleaning the Granite Mile
- More than 20 companies are interested in empty units after rent-free perks were offered
- And our tracker keeps you updated on all the latest closures and openings in Aberdeen city centre
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