Exclusive: Aberdeen clothes shop to relocate from Schoolhill to old Debenhams after bus gates battle

Victoria Mutch has shut Style For Your Shape after watching takings dwindle as a "direct result" of traffic changes.

By Ben Hendry

January 23 2025, 5:00 pm

Victoria Mutch at Style For Your Shape in Aberdeen city centre. Image: Wullie Marr/DC Thomson

An Aberdeen businesswoman is relocating from her Schoolhill store after watching takings dry up since the city’s bus gates were installed.

Victoria Mutch opened Style For Your Shape in the summer of 2022.

The entrepreneur was thrilled as profits gradually rose across her first year in business.

But visitor numbers at the size-inclusive store began to drop when controversial traffic changes were rolled out in the summer of 2023.

Victoria Mutch outside Style for your Shape on Schoolhill - as The Evening Express declares the street Aberdeen city centre's emptiest. Image: Alastair Gossip/DC Thomson — Victoria Mutch outside Style for your Shape on Schoolhill – as The Evening Express declares the street Aberdeen city centre’s emptiest. Image: Alastair Gossip/DC Thomson

In 2024, Victoria became a leading figure in the Common Sense Compromise campaign – joining forces with other traders and business bodies in a desperate bid for the council to amend the system.

But the pleas repeatedly fell on deaf ears, despite Victoria warning that she may struggle to keep Style For Your Shape open on Schoolhill.

Her grim warnings about the store’s future have now come to pass – though she is optimistic about a bright new future as part of a city centre mall.

Why is Style For Your Shape moving across Aberdeen city centre?

As business continued to struggle towards the end of 2024, the shopkeeper started seriously considering her options.

She has now decided to take the plunge by moving to a “higher footfall area”.

And Style For Your Shape will now take up a unit in the Trinity Centre once occupied by high street giant Debenhams.

Victoria Mutch outside her Schoolhill shop Style for your Shape upon opening in July 2022. Image: Wullie Marr/DC Thomson — Victoria Mutch at Style For Your Shape on Schoolhill in Aberdeen.

Victoria said: “I’m excited for our move to Trinity Centre and to start the next chapter of our journey.

“It’s been no secret that things have been tough the last 18 months since the introduction of traffic measures, bus gates and subsequently LEZ.

“I’ve been in regular contact with councillors indicating the impact their decisions are having on businesses in the city centre and sadly I couldn’t justify keeping the business in Schoolhill.

“I’ve made the decision to move to a higher footfall area to keep the doors open.”

Debenhams in the Trinity Centre. Image: Chris Sumner/DC Thomson

‘We hope to welcome new customers’

The founder and director of the business added: “I look forward to welcoming our existing customers to our new store and hopefully get to meet lots of new customers too.”

Her Schoolhill unit, just next to the Bon Accord Centre, will close on Saturday, February 1.

The Trinity Centre store is expected to open on Saturday, February 8.