Traders say they have left Aberdeen’s Bon Accord Centre for a new home elsewhere in the city centre – after having their “worst Christmas ever”.
From Scotland, which sells Scottish spirits, and The Wee Brown Mouse Bakery today opened up a new combined unit in the Trinity Centre.
They are joining Smuggler’s Spirits in what was once the Mostyn McKenzie shoe shop there.
After setting up their new stands, the traders told us about the difficult decision to depart the Curated Aberdeen market in the Bon Accord Centre.
They revealed that plummeting footfall had resulted in profits collapsing towards the end of last year – with a disastrous festive period proving to be the final straw.
The independent businesses laid the blame for the downturn on controversial traffic changes – which also made it difficult to get deliveries.
Independent businesses joining forces at the Trinity Centre
Entitled Failte, which means “welcome” in Gaelic, the unit next to Claire’s Accessories will combine Smuggler’s Spirits, From Scotland and The Wee Brown Mouse Bakery—which had been part of Curated Aberdeen for some time.
There will be more room for other traders to join them at the unit.
It comes at a tumultuous time for city centre traders, with nearby Union Square facing an exodus of big-name brands including FatFace, Hollister and Superdry.
Businesses blame bus gates for low footfall woes
Karen Dalgarno, owner of The Wee Brown Mouse Bakery, started serving up tasty treats on the side while working as a nursery manager in 2018.
She started doing deliveries during the pandemic, and is found at farmers markets across the north-east.
Karen set out her stall at the Curated Aberdeen about a year ago, offering up her range of humungous traybakes, slabs of sponge cake and chunks of tablet at the charity-run venue over the weekends.
But she told us how she watched footfall “plummet” over the past 12 months.
She said: “At first, footfall was a lot better, we were doing fairly well, but over time footfall just plummeted, and we felt we weren’t being advertised well enough.
“Then this opportunity came about, and I just had to grab it.
“I think the bus gates and LEZ have had a massive effect.”
‘I had to take 20-minute detour to avoid a fine!’
Karen recalled having to use her mum’s old car to get to work one day and being forced to take a 20-minute detour to avoid the LEZ, which she says “defeats the purpose” of limiting pollution.
Meanwhile, she argues that the bus gates rolled out in 2023 have left “confused” customers opting to just avoid the city centre altogether.
In all her years of operating, this past Christmas was Karen’s worst for sales.
But she is hoping that a new spot in the Trinity Centre can win her a fresh army of sweet-toothed followers.
“It was never my intention to have a shop, but when the opportunity arose to collaborate with other traders, it was really too good to pass up.
“I am so excited about the future now.”
‘We watched as booze sales dried up this Christmas’
From Scotland, a spirits business run by Alan and Kim McConnachie, had been at Curated Aberdeen from the very start back in 2021.
They have seen it at the best of times and the hardest, having had their worst Christmas period for sales ever.
Kim said: “It’s putting tremendous pressure on businesses. We don’t have a big company behind us to help us along.
“We’ve been in business for 17 years, and this past December was the hardest we have ever had — 44% down on the year before in sales.”
‘Left to die’ at Curated Aberdeen
One of the main changes bemoaned by disheartened traders was the opening of a Curated in the Quad festive market over the past few festive seasons at Marischal College.
While this benefitted the many traders operating from the huts just off Broad Street, those operating from the Bon Accord Centre say they were left out in the cold.
Kim sighed that it felt as though those in the mall at the end of George Street “were left to die”.
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Kim fears the market set up to boost Charlie House could be “on its last legs”.
“We had no choice but to leave Curated. If this wasn’t offered to us, we would have all left anyway because we weren’t making any money.
“One Sunday, I made under £30, and that was selling alcohol…”
Independent businesses open Trinity Centre store amid ongoing city centre bus gates row
But Alan is all smiles as he welcomes new customers and old faces into the unit on Monday afternoon, and is positive about the future.
He told me Trinity Centre bosses were “aware of the problems” facing the city centre and have been “so helpful” with their move.
The traders hope to bring several more names into the shop as part of their new venture.
Meanwhile, a row continues to rage over Aberdeen’s controversial bus gates – with shopkeeper Norman Esslemont raising money to take the council to court over the measures.
Charlie House and the Bon Accord Centre have been approached for comment.
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