The landscape of Aberdeen’s city centre has changed throughout the years.
Iconic landmarks of the city’s past may no longer be standing, while others have remained proudly in place for decades.
Using a video uploaded to Youtube by Fubar Rock Band taken on January 1, 2013, we were able to paint a picture of what Union Street looked like just over a decade ago, compared to now.
Our research showed:
- Food and drink outlets are more popular now than they were
- The numbers of shops and banking outlets have fallen since 2013
- More than 60 businesses have remained in the same place over the past decade
How have things changed in the last decade?
On January 1st, when the video was recorded, 177 of those units were occupied, while 18 were vacant.
This means that on January 1 2013, there was a 9.2% vacancy rate on Union Street.
However, not everything has changed drastically over the past decade.
These resilient businesses cover a range of types of units and are spread all across the street.
The Aberdeen Whisky Shop isn’t included in that number, but it is also still on Union Street, next door from where it was previously.
There are numerous factors that have played a part in how Aberdeen’s historic main shopping street has changed, including the oil downturn, the opening of new shopping centres, Covid-19 and the move to internet shopping.
Have we changed how we shop?
Times have changed since 2013, and that has been reflected in our high streets.
The biggest change can be seen in shopping and banking, both of which have dropped by double digits.
Entertainment, hair and beauty and services all also saw an increase on number of units since 2013.
In 2013, shopping accounted for 41.5% of all occupied units, while in 2024 that percentage has dropped to 39%.
On Union Street, it’s still the most popular type of unit however, both a decade ago and now.
Back in January 2013 there was 81 (41.5%) retail shops, and now in September 2024 there is 63 (39.4%).
Food and drink however has boomed in popularity. In January 2013, 16.9% of the street was some type of eatery or drinks establishment, while that’s soared to 29.4% (63 businesses) in 2024.
Union Street’s long-term residents
Despite challenging operating environments, there are some independent stores that have remained in place throughout it all.
There are also several chain businesses which have remained in place.
One of the independent businesses that is still on Union Street is Signature Menswear.
It now has two units on the street, but has been in business since 1986.
Patrick Ritchie, owner of the store, has seen a number of ups and downs and changes since opening.
He said: “For me, for our business, up to 2015 was going great guns and then there was the oil crash.
“I think we were beginning to fight back post 2015. It took us a few years and you were beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel, but then there was Covid and that was unprecedented. There’s nothing that’s come close to that in my experience.
“You really were looking at it thinking how do I get out of this? And not everyone did get through it.
“There are very few of us [independent businesses] left. You’re up against online now. We started our online business in 2016 but that’s not attracting people actually into the city.
“I’ve been here for over 35 years, I know how Union Street works. I’ve been here and seen it all.”
‘There won’t be a city centre left to come to’
Union Street isn’t without its challenges, which includes the current bus gate conundrum and parking problems, according to Mr Ritchie.
However, he said that the mile-long street has always been a “unique selling point” and that people need to be attracted into the city
He said: “If you’re offering something different, you’ve got to come to Union Street. We’d try and avoid any labels that anyone else stocks, so that our stock is exclusive. I think you get more of that in the West End of the town, even with the nicer restaurants and bars.”
“We’ve got to make it an enjoyable experience for them and we need to make it accessible and at the moment there’s just not enough of us but certainly the West End is more full.”
He added: “I think we need to do something outside the box.
“You can talk yourself into a recession, we need to focus on the positives. There are plenty of positives, if you want to come and sit outside on a Saturday in the sun you can sit at Soul bar and have a few drinks.
“The current challenge we’ve got is attracting people into the town. If someone wants to come to the West End of the town and park, you can only park for an hour in Golden Square.
“If you want to come in to me, you’re going to be with me for an hour, so it means you can’t go to So… for a coffee and a bagel, you can’t pop up to Sirene or anyone else, you can only come in to do one thing.
“For me, what I think we need to do, and it’s a total change of policy for the council, but you charge one pound for three hours, or do free parking.
“The council couldn’t be doing a better job of un-attracting people in to the city. I’ve never felt the need to have a go at the council because they’ve got a job to do, but they’re killing retail and if they continue with their plans for more cycle lanes on top of the LEZ and bus gate farces there won’t be a city centre left to come in to.”
Jewellery shop Jamieson & Carry has been in its current unit at 142 Union Street since 1925.
It has recently opened a TAG Heuer boutique at 132 Union Street, and is undergoing renovations on its main store in order for its temporary store next door to turn into a Rolex showroom.
Partner Christopher Carry said: “From a vacant perspective, Union Street is not as bad as people think. I think there’s a hellbent attitude to batter Aberdeen down, by Aberdonians.
“In 2014 the oil was a challenge, but year-on-year we saw positive returns and were clawing it back and came out of 2019 feeling very positive about our business and where the city was going, and then obviously March 2020 was a game changer for everybody.
“Bizzarely enough from March 2020 through the next 14 months, and we were closed for seven months, but the periods where we were open were probably some of the best we’ve ever seen and then 2022 and 2023 were equally strong years.
“I think 2024 has been a bit more of a reset, but not overly negative. I think it’s just a reset back to probably 2019. Everyone business-wise you speak to has been relatively positive about the future.
“[Expansion] was the right thing to do at the right time and it was an opportunity for us to increase the physical footprint but to upgrade the experience both visually and the physical experience we can give people when they come to the shop.
“It’s trying to always improve and learn from what we’ve done before and create better opportunities for the business.”
Mr Carry added: “The layout of the city is by far the biggest challenge right now, because of the perceived challenges of getting in and out of the city which is not great.
“The parking is still accessible if you look at the Trinity Centre and Golden Square and the Denburn, they’re still as accessible as they were, but I think the difficulty is getting across the city.
“I think the physical environment has never been more challenging. We’ve been here for 99 years in this building and certainly in my time since the mid-90s it’s never been this challenging.
“I think shopping trends have changed as well. In 2013 it was a lot of passing trade, people would look in your window, we still had people come in because they knew they were coming in for an engagement ring or whatever, but nowadays a lot of people’s research is done online through our website or Instagram.”
An Aberdeen City Council spokesman said: “Issues with footfall are not unique to Aberdeen and a longer-term decline in footfall has undoubtedly been made worse by post pandemic working patterns, cost of living pressure, and changes to shopping habits.
“The Council would like to reassure our businesses and visitors that nothing has changed in terms of parking availability in the city centre, despite the introduction of new bus priority measures. You can still access the parking facilities that existed prior to the new bus priority measures, and those measurers have resulted in an increase in bus passengers coming into the city centre. Visitors to Aberdeen’s city centre can now park in council car parks for just £1 after 5pm. The six-month trial was agreed as part of the Council’s Budget earlier this year.
“The Council is dedicated to fostering an attractive environment for residents and visitors alike, encouraging footfall and supporting the local economy, demonstrated by the £150m investment in projects within the city centre.
“The Council wants to make the city more accessible and sustainable for everyone and continue to work with the local business community. Despite the challenging operating environment, Aberdeen City Council remains committed to a balanced transport network that prioritises sustainable and efficient travel, ensuring the city’s growth and development for years to come.”
Conversation