For nearly 40 years Asda has been something of a landmark in Portlethen, and a familiar sight for motorists travelling along the A92.
When the new store opened in 1986, it was “the biggest supermarket complex north of the Tay”.
But its ringing tills and high-profile success also attracted attention from criminals.
In 1992, Asda Portlethen was the scene of a dramatic and brazen armed daylight robbery, which resulted in a staff member being gagged, and shoppers being showered in banknotes.
Asda ‘just what Portlethen needed’
The multi-million-pound hypermarket plans were rubber stamped by Kincardine and District councillors in 1985, ending months of speculation and rumours.
Separate schemes had been put forward by two Aberdeen-based companies, Formartine Ltd and Londeen Developments.
Kincardine and District Council told the two firms to get together and come up with a joint application.
There was delight when plans were finally lodged in September 1984 for a retail complex with an Asda hypermarket, at a projected cost of more than £10 million.
It had become an on-off saga, and progress was largely met with enthusiasm locally.
Community council chairman Tom Kay said it was “just what Portlethen needed”.
Multi-million-pound retail complex was biggest store in north Scotland
The complex was earmarked for 18 acres of land behind Donald’s meat factory adjacent to the main Aberdeen-Stonehaven road.
And the supermarket giant hoped to be up and running before Christmas 1986.
The 95,000-square-foot Asda was far bigger than the store at Dyce, and was to be part of retail park alongside retail warehousing, a DIY store and garden centre.
Portlethen councillor Dr Ted Needham, who spent years fighting for better retail for the sprawling community, said the supermarket would be “a magnificent development for the north-east of Scotland”.
He added that it would make Portlethen the envy of other parts of the country.
City council concerned Portlethen Asda would affect retail in Aberdeen
But Aberdeen City Council’s own planning committee was concerned the Portlethen Asda approval “neglected the city’s interests”.
He felt a hypermarket south of the city would rail against the city council’s policy to preserve the trading viability of the city centre.
However, this was the same council that demolished St Nicholas Street and built a shopping mall in its place.
Committee convener David Clyne was so aggrieved he suggested writing to their MP to urge a change in law to return all planning applications to the city council for approval – even if they were not in the city.
However, his proposal was swiftly defeated by fellow councillors 10 votes to four.
Labour member Margaret Farquhar said Kincardine had every right to determine any application relative to their area.
Portlethen transformed from village to second-biggest town in Kincardine
Construction quickly got under way and a huge recruitment drive started in January 1986.
Phase One of the campaign saw a whopping 20 managerial positions on offer and another 400 roles advertised.
Asda said prospective employees would soon see that “when it comes to Asda price, we charge the least and pay the best”.
The first general manger of the shop was Steve Preston, who hailed from Stonehaven.
By the time the new store on October 13 1986, Portlethen was declared the second-biggest community in Kincardine.
The former Portlethen Moss, regarded as little more than peaty scrubland, had become 14 acres of homes and retail.
Manager bound and gagged when masked raider took £200k in armed robbery
The Portlethen superstore had 24 checkouts, carried more than 30,000 product lines, had shops within the shop, a hairdresser, film developing facilities, a chemist, travel agent and jewellers.
It was unlike any other supermarket in the north of Scotland.
But this also made it a lucrative target for criminals.
In May 1992 Asda Portlethen was the scene of a dramatic armed robbery when a masked gunman dressed in camouflage stole a large sum of cash.
Armed with a sawn-off shotgun, the man entered the store at lunchtime as a senior manager was filling the Clydesdale cashpoint.
He bound and gagged the employee, who could not then raise the alarm, before ransacking the machine and taking £200,000.
Banknotes rained down in store when robbers dropped haul
The robber then escaped through a hole in the ceiling and out through the roof, but unable to carry so much cash, dropped £130,000 on his way out.
He made his getaway via a rope left hanging down an outside wall.
The alarm was only raised inside the store when astonished customers saw banknotes floating down from the roof, and landing behind a lottery stall.
Police armed with semi-automatic machine guns swooped in and a manhunt was launched around Portlethen Moss, but the robber got away.
Police said they “took a dim view” of one member of staff being responsible for so much cash, and Asda vowed to tighten its security.
The supermarket offered a reward of £5,000 for information leading to the conviction of those involved in the well-planned operation.
Asda raid ‘planned with military precision’
In the days that followed, police revealed the raid had been carried out with “military precision”.
It was thought both the robber and an accomplice and had been hiding in the roof before jumping the unsuspecting member of staff.
Grampian Police Detective Inspector Ron Falconer said: “This is one of the most serious and well-planned crimes we have had up here.”
Police believed the gang had made several ‘recce’ trips to Asda while plotting the raid.
By July, Grampian Police officers headed to the south of England to track down an armed gang who had also robbed Asda stores at Watford and Slough.
But the gang evaded capture and continued to hit Asda stores across England during a two-year crimewave.
Dedicated staff members who were still at Asda after 35 years celebrated
Portlethen Asda hit the headlines again in 2001, but for a happier reason, to recognise member of staff Bill Strachan.
At 80 years old, Bill was the longest-serving member of Asda staff in Scotland.
The great-grandad started at the store in 1993 clearing up litter and shovelling snow in bad weather.
A farmer most of his life, before working as a night watchman for Aberdeen City Council until retiring at 65, Bill worked 8am to 10am five days a week at Asda.
He joked the hard graft kept him active and “out of the pub”.
And in 2012, as the store marked its 35th anniversary, it celebrated dedicated staff members who had been there since day one.
Reflecting on their careers, the colleagues spoke of their great friendships and how the hours were ideal for young mums.
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