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‘We’re losing thousands and thousands’: Attic owner laments Aberdeen market construction disruption

Shop bosses were only given three days' notice before scaffolding was erected on their Union Street doorstep.

Adam has slammed the council for their handling of the situation. Image: Scott Baxter / DC Thomson
Adam has slammed the council for their handling of the situation. Image: Scott Baxter / DC Thomson

The owner of a Union Street clothes shop claims scaffolding for the Aberdeen market construction is costing his business “thousands and thousands”.

Attic boss Adam McLaughlin has slammed the city council for its handling of the £40 million construction works on his doorstep.

Ground was recently broken on the construction, and scaffolding was erected on the front of the old BHS building earlier this week.

Now shoppers heading towards the bottom of Union Street have to take a detour around the building site to visit Attic, which is completely obscured by a temporary barrier.

Work is taking place on the frontage of the former BHS department store. Image: by Scott Baxter / DC Thomson
Work is taking place on the frontage of the former BHS department store. Image: by Scott Baxter / DC Thomson

Speaking to The Press and Journal, Adam reveals the severe impact that these works have had on his business in just a short space of time.

How did we get here?

Scaffolding was erected around the shell of the former BHS premises on Monday, a major milestone for the construction of Aberdeen’s new market.

The footpath on Union Street has been closed for safety reasons.

And shoppers have to navigate a detour to reach Attic, which will be right next door to the landmark development.

Adam first heard of the works taking place last Thursday. Image: by Scott Baxter / DC Thomson
Adam first heard of the works taking place last Thursday. Image: by Scott Baxter / DC Thomson

Adam tells The Press and Journal that they were first told about the upheaval last Thursday, leaving them three days to prepare.

Though work is expected to continue into next week, the pavement is expected to be temporarily reopened over the weekend.

But Attic boss Adam feels this is nowhere near good enough, as he tells us how seismic the impact has been on his business in just one week.

‘Market works have cost Attic thousands and thousands of pounds’

Sounding despondent, he complains how, in what is usually a busy week, his shop has become a ghost town.

The view shoppers have once turning left from the Market Street footpath. Image: by Scott Baxter / DC Thomson
The view shoppers have once turning left from the Market Street footpath. Image: by Scott Baxter / DC Thomson

“We’ve got every right to be furious because it’s costing our business thousands of pounds,” the streetwear trader fulminates.

“It’s well reported how tough it is to be a retailer at the moment, so to throw an eight-foot wall in front of our store and make the street a dead end, it couldn’t make it any trickier.

“There have been some days this week that we might as well have just been closed.

“I don’t think I could imagine a situation trickier than what we’re in right now.”

And Adam feels that he is at a stalemate with the council despite his cries for help.

Attic only given three days’ notice for eyesore market works

Attic and Aberdeen City Council – which is also his landlord – have been talking all week about how to resolve the issue.

Attic’s shopfront is completely obscured by the construction works. Image: by Scott Baxter / DC Thomson

Adam feels that they are due some form of compensation for the massive drop in sales.

“We have spoken to the council about it, and we are still talking,” the Attic owner explained.

“The rent is an easier thing to negotiate than the rates.

“Even if they zeroed the rates and the rent, it comes to roughly what the shop lost, year-on-year, on Monday, let alone the rest of the week.

“It really has to be compensation for the thousands and thousands we are down for the week.”

‘We have to apologise to customers on council’s behalf’

What has Adam been hearing on the shop floor from the few customers that have been coming in this week?

Attic moved to the Granite Mile back in November 2022. Image: by Scott Baxter / DC Thomson
Attic moved to the Granite Mile back in November 2022. Image: by Scott Baxter / DC Thomson

“Customers that are coming in are pretty horrified at the situation, and how it looks,” Adam says.

“The signage is really poor, I think there is too much down at the front.”

“We are spending a lot of time apologising to customers and members of the public.

“Although we are the ones suffering, we have to apologise on behalf of the council for the works going on, which we find pretty bizarre.”

The clothes shop owners previously saw the market as a potential boost for their business when they moved to Union Street from Belmont Street in 2022.

But so far the development has only hit takings.

Aberdeen City Council was approached for comment.


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