St Giles: Firms defiant in wake of Elgin shopping centre closure

Following the closure of Elgin's only shopping center, most businesses that lost their premises have chosen to stay or hope to stay in the town. The St Giles Centre, which had been operating for 33 years, closed abruptly on January 20th, leaving both businesses and customers in uncertainty. The center was home to major stores including EE, Vodafone, and Waterstones, but was in dispute with Moray Council over business rates.

BBC Scotland News contacted 15 businesses that had operated in the St Giles Centre. Three will not continue trading, but most expect to continue operating locally in some form. Moray Chamber of Commerce hopes that the relocation of these businesses may actually help the town center thrive in the long term. Telecoms company EE was one of the large companies to lose its premises, but it plans to stay in Elgin. During the transition, it is now operating its store from an EE van six days a week.

EE stated, "We intend to remain in Elgin to serve the local community and will continue to support our colleagues and customers while we look for a new location." Vodafone said it is "focused on finding new premises so we can continue to support customers in the area." Book retailer Waterstones said it would be doing "everything possible" to remain open. The Moray School Bank had a shop in the St Giles Centre. The charity was founded in 2017 to provide school uniforms and warm winter clothing for children living in poverty.

The charity now has its stock in storage and is still working in the community to help anyone in need during the transition. The charity's Moira Yule said they had just a few days to clear the shop after being told of the closure in early January. But she said local support has made it all possible. She told BBC Scotland News that they have received "offers of potential new premises". She said: "We're really lucky, we will get through this. We are a good team." Local clothing company Smadug operated a pop-up shop in the St Giles Centre and is now focusing on its online trade after the closure.

Owner Sharon Davidson said: "My business is mainly online and I stopped trading in St Giles Centre just before Christmas as I was just a pop-up shop. I'm back online again now. Hopefully I will find other pop-up shop places this year. Elgin is very supportive of Smadug, so I hope customers will find me wherever I am." Asher's Bakery said it was making "pretty good progress" in finding another shop. The bakery's Ali Asher said: "Our other shop in Elgin is small but very busy and doesn't have the capacity for more staff or sales." He said: "It's sad to see this happening but if it means more shops in Elgin High Street get occupied and trading then maybe it will bring life to the town center."

Fab Brows Bar has successfully relocated to other premises in the town, namely Elgin Nail and Spa. It is run by Sarita Thapa Tamang, with support from her husband Prem. He said: "The news of St Giles Centre closing was heartbreaking. We were in total shock to hear this news. We did not have a pre-planned relocation site and therefore worried about losing our business." He said: "It was a very short notice and caused a huge amount of stress for us to find a suitable place for our business." He said they were "lucky" to have managed to find space to relocate, although "almost from scratch," and he hoped customers would continue to visit them knowing they had moved.

He said they are "very much hoping" to find their own premises in the future. Personalised gift company Box Brand said it would be moving to new premises in mid-February. Owner Lee Midlane said: "While the closure of the St Giles Centre is a significant change for the community, we remain committed to supporting local businesses and residents." He also added that they will be "fostering a sense of resilience during this transition." It is understood that Argos, which said it was "deeply disappointed" at the St Giles closure, has been exploring possible alternative locations. Retailer Ramsdens said it is "committed to Elgin, our customers and our staff" and is in negotiations about the way forward.

Whisky business Gordon and MacPhail is "assessing all options to determine the best course of action" following the "unexpected" closure of St Giles. O2 said: "We have been forced to close our store in Elgin due to the sudden and unexpected decision by the landlord to close the St Giles shopping center. We are in conversations with our staff to discuss next steps and we are committed to providing support during the transition." WH Smith said: "We can confirm that the store in Elgin is now closed. We are disappointed to have lost our presence." The Works thanked customers for their support over the years. A statement said: "We are working to redeploy all team members and customers can continue to shop at our other stores in the wider area." Subway has not responded to a request for comment.

St Giles Shopping Centre Holdings Ltd informed all tenants earlier this month of plans to close after January 20th. Moray Council has called it "sad and unsettling news." Sarah Medcraf, chief executive of Moray Chamber of Commerce, agreed that the closure was a "disappointing development," as it had been a major part of the local retail scene for many years. However, she said Elgin was a resilient town. She said: "This news undoubtedly impacts the businesses within the center, their staff and the wider community. Our thoughts are with them during this unprecedented time."

She said: "Despite this, we remain hopeful for the future. We are committed to supporting the affected businesses to navigate the challenges. Elgin has a history of resilience and the business community here has always shown an ability to adapt and innovate." She added: "While this closure marks the end of an era, we need to believe that it can also pave the way for the enhancement of our town center and ensure it continues to thrive."