Shoppers have called the closure of Elgin’s St Giles Centre a “huge loss” as the complex gets ready to close in less than two weeks.
Letters were sent to businesses operating inside the High Street shopping centre telling them they need to vacate the building by close of business on Monday, January 20.
Locals told The Press and Journal they were ‘in shock’ after hearing the news, and ‘really sad’ that such a huge High Street unit would be closing down.
The closure is the culmination of several years of decline in the shopping centre following closures of stores such as Monsoon and Superdrug, as well as Mountain Warehouse moving to the retail parks.
The situation was then pushed to crisis point in November last year when Moray Council took legal action to retrieve a huge sum – thought to be in the in the region of £600,000 to £750,000 – of unpaid non-domestic rates from the owners of the St Giles Centre.
Closure ‘huge loss’ for Elgin’s town centre
Nicole Toner, who runs her town centre business Nicole’s Beauty Room, used to hang out at the centre with her friends as a teenager.
“It’s just really sad for everyone who works there,” she added.
“It’s been open for a long time, and there’s a lot of businesses still there that have been open for a while too. It’s a huge loss for the high street.
“When I was a teenager, I’d get drinks from Starbucks and just sit in the centre with my friends.
“It would be so busy but nowadays it’s just dead – it’s a shame.”
Irene Harrold, from Elgin, remembers when the shopping centre first opened up in 1991.
“The St Giles Centre was good when it first opened because there was a lot of shops in it but gradually over the years it’s had less and less,” she said.
“I’m sad it’s closing down as it’s going to be another empty space in Elgin.
“I feel very sorry for the shops that are still there that need to find new premises.”
Fears whole town ‘might die’ as a result of shopping centre closure
Helen George found out about the news while she was doing her shopping.
“I’ve just found out the news while I was in a shop and someone in front of me spoke about it,” she said.
“I think it’s incredibly sad because it feels like the whole place might die a little bit.
“The only other decent shopping centre nearby now is in Inverness.”
Bill has lived in the local area for years, and believes the shopping centre had many missed opportunities to rejuvenate the high street.
“Instead of a dozen shops empty or closed, it needs 50 or 40 little ones,” he said.
“They’ve got a first floor, but they should’ve added a second floor with market stalls.
“It also needs something like the Victorian Market in Inverness where people can sit down and eat.”
‘Missed opportunities’ for shopping centre
“There’s also so much space in the top floors of the building that isn’t even being used,” Bill added.
“Why aren’t they all flats? You could fit at least 20 flats there, or maybe 40 flats.
“I first came up here in 1975, and it’s gone downhill like any other place.
“But it is a shame that the shopping centre is closing down.”
Phyllis Cameron, from Lhanbryde, fears ‘not much’ will be left after the closure of the St Giles Centre.
“Everything’s going to end up coming out of the high street,” she said.
“There’s not going to be much here really.
“I thought it was great when it was built for a start, and it was full of shops.
“It’s now more like an empty building.”
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