Aberdeen’s Bon Accord Centre is experiencing a significant resurgence under the leadership of its new manager, Lee Austin-Winters. Appointed in January, Austin-Winters, who transitioned from a decade-long IT career, is spearheading a strategic overhaul focused on innovation and a customer-centric approach to retail.
Austin-Winters relocated to Aberdeenshire in 2010 after a 13-year career in IT in Manchester, seeking a “good life” away from 16-hour workdays. He established his own computing business, with one of his initial contracts being with the Bon Accord Centre itself. His unexpected journey led him to take the helm of the shopping complex, a move he believes offers a fresh perspective.
The Bon Accord Centre has faced considerable challenges in recent years. In 2021, the centre saw numerous high-street retailers, including Topshop, Dorothy Perkins, Warehouse, River Island, and the Disney Store, cease operations. The adjacent John Lewis department store also closed in August 2021.
The centre’s Guernsey-based owners, Aberdeen Retail 1 Limited and Aberdeen Retail 2 Limited, entered administration in August 2022, citing “unsustainable cash flow problems stemming from the on-going impact of the Covid pandemic, rising operational costs and intense retail competition.”
EP Properties, led by Zakir Issa, acquired the Bon Accord Centre in April 2023 for less than £10 million, later purchasing the former John Lewis building for approximately £270,000 in September 2023.
Since the acquisition and Austin-Winters’ appointment, the centre has seen a series of strategic moves. Major brands such as Superdry and FatFace have relocated from Union Square to Bon Accord, with Danish retailer Sostrene Grene also establishing a presence.
Superdry’s move, for instance, involved a significant investment from both the centre and the retailer, totalling “not far off half-a-million quid,” to create a bespoke 6,000 sq ft space. Austin-Winters attributes this success to a willingness to “work with” retailers.
Austin-Winters emphasises his unconventional management philosophy. “There isn’t any magic formula for it, but I can see so much potential,” he explained to the P&J. “I suppose I look at it from a customer’s perspective, because I’ve not got that retail background.”
This approach has led to innovative initiatives, such as a vintage clothes pop-up event that attracted thousands of shoppers and boosted some retailers’ takings by over a third in a single day. A new “garden area” near Costa has also quickly gained popularity, leading to increased footfall for nearby businesses.
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The management team also supports the P&Js “Fresh Start” campaign, which calls on the Scottish Government to amend business rates relief for vacant properties. Currently, relief is only available after a property has been empty for six months. Austin-Winters and Torrie argue that removing this waiting period would encourage more businesses to occupy vacant units, as retailers “are looking at what they’re spending now more than ever.”
Adrian Watson, Chief Executive of Aberdeen Inspired, praised the centre’s renewed vigour. “The Bon Accord Centre has clearly seen a resurgence in recent months, going from strength-to-strength as the team there attract new retailers, bolster existing ones and work on some very exciting plans for the future,” he commented.
With further new shops and advanced discussions underway, Austin-Winters believes the coming months will be “quite exciting” for the Bon Accord Centre.
