Marks & Spencer has officially closed its longstanding St Nicholas store in Aberdeen city centre, bringing to an end more than eight decades of retail history on the high street.
While the closure had been expected later this summer, the retailer has moved ahead of schedule, fully transitioning operations to its newly expanded Union Square branch. The move is part of a £15 million investment into the upgraded mall location, which opened on 11 April.
The St Nicholas building, once home to the food hall and a wide range of women’s, children’s, and home departments, now stands empty. All customer entrances are shut, and signage directs shoppers to Union Square. The branch has also been removed from the company’s store listings.
Initially, only the food hall had closed ahead of the Union Square relaunch. M&S had indicated that other departments in St Nicholas would continue trading until June, but by early May, all remaining stock had been cleared out, leaving just a few shelves and empty tables behind.
The revamped Union Square store has quickly become one of M&S’s largest in Scotland. It features an expanded food hall with a market-style layout, an “extra large” in-store bakery, and a dedicated wine shop. The upstairs café has also been redesigned with a focus on faster service and improved coffee offerings.
All clothing and homeware departments, including women’s, children’s, and menswear, are now housed on the second floor of the new store, which has already attracted high footfall from curious customers.
The closure of the St Nicholas branch marks a significant shift in the retail landscape of Aberdeen city centre as M&S consolidates its presence within Union Square.
Scottish Conservative North East MSP Liam Kerr, who will be writing to M&S bosses over the future plans for the building, said: “Although we knew Marks and Spencer would shut later this summer, the decision to close its doors early marks a very sad day for Aberdeen city centre.
“Having a multi-storey building sitting empty like this will leave a huge void following the closure of John Lewis and Debenhams over the last few years.
“M&S has been based in Aberdeen since 1944 and formed a pivotal part of the regeneration of our city.
“But the consequences of this closure could be felt for years to come if the building becomes derelict.
“This is why I have called for an end to Aberdeen City Council’s ludicrous decision to implement bus gates and LEZs in the area, while also pushing for the Scottish Government to pass on rates relief for shops.”
