The number of empty units on Union Street have shot up as prominent buildings such as the former Royal Bank of Scotland leave another gaping hole in Aberdeen city centre.
New figures reveal the level of voids in the city’s high street is once again on the rise – despite the positive progress made throughout last year.
FG Burnett has monitored the vacancies percentage for the past five years, and in 2024, Union Street closures were on par with pre-pandemic levels.
However, following several business closures, the street has slipped back, with the number of vacant properties rising from 18% to 21%.
Forty units now lie empty along the famous Granite Mile, despite ongoing efforts by Our Union Street to boost business fortunes.
Notable closures since August 2024 include RBS, VisitScotland’s tourist information office, Bravissimo, SK:N, and Moossh.
The reason for these closures vary, however, with Moossh bosses opting to move to the west end instead and SK:N ceasing trade in the city all together.
Union Street’s ‘blip’ as empty units increase
The closure of the former Royal Bank of Scotland at St Nicholas Square was the latest hammer blow to the city centre, leaving yet another gaping hole on the high street.
The Marks and Spencer branch next door will also shut this spring.
FG Burnett has now criticised these decisions, saying national operators should “think longer and harder about the impact of their departure”.
They add a combination of factors is creating significant challenges for Union Street – including bus gates, the low-emission zone, and ongoing roadworks.
The rise in empty units coincides with continued works along the central span of Union Street, which property bosses believe has “adversely affected customer experience”.
FG Burnett has also stressed on the negative impact of closing the tourist information hub on the corner of Union Street and Shiprow.
The unit closed last September as part of a nation-wide drive to get rid of such venues as more and more people use online guides.
All tourist information hubs across Scotland will close by the end of 2025.
But FG Burnett argues that a tourist hub on Union Street could be valuable, given the increasing number of cruise ship visitors.
Thousands of tourists are expected to visit Aberdeen this summer, with 63 cruise ships and the Tall Ships event expected to bring a huge boost for traders.
However, the idea has failed to gain traction and has been largely dismissed.
Do you think a cruise tourist information hub should be opened on Union Street? Let us know in our comments section below
The estate agents say: “Our view is that the importance of such centres to town and city centres goes beyond the growth of online booking and browsing for information.
“FG Burnett has promoted the idea of a cruise visitor and tourist information hub in the city centre, but has not had the required support from relevant stakeholders.”
Outlook for Union Street remains ‘encouraging’
Despite recent setbacks, however, FG Burnett remains optimistic about the state of the high street and says there is interest from businesses.
American fast-food chain Wendy’s will be moving into the current JD Sports’ premises, while there are plans to make former bank properties into restaurants and flats.
FG Burnett hopes the latest downturn on Union Street is merely a “blip”, while Our Union Street boss Bob Keiller said the outlook remains “encouraging”.
Mr Keiller told The Press and Journal that he expects several units to be filled throughout 2025 amid a fresh drive to entice new traders into the city centre.
He supported the idea of a tourist hub but said the exact details would need to be developed.
Mr Keiller added: “While many of the empty units on Union Street are in reasonable condition with affordable rents and rates, some are not.
“We are encouraging owners to improve the state of their premises and to be willing to negotiate on rent expectations.
“There is no shortage of ideas to fill city centre units—but ideas need determined champions and must be sustainable.”
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