Marks and Spencer bosses are in talks with local politicians in a bid to get buses to drop customers off outside the newly expanded Union Square store.
The St Nicholas Street flagship shop is soon to close, with the food hall shutting earlier this month.
It comes as M&S ploughs £15 million into a swanky revamp of its shop nearby in the Aberdeen mall.
With the huge new food hall now open, offering a bigger and better range, the popular chain is keen to make it easier for their older or less mobile customers to reach it.
Why are buses needed to drop customers off at Union Square M&S?
Up until recently, shoppers keen to pick up their groceries from M&S could get a bus onto Union Street, take a brief stroll through McCombie’s Court and head straight into the St Nicholas Street department store.
Since the move, getting to M&S requires more of a walk.
And now higher-ups have told The Press and Journal this is something they are keen to tackle.
A spokesperson said: “We want to make it as easy as possible for customers to shop at the new M&S at Union Square and have spoken to local politicians to seek their support.”
Councillor Marie Boulton told us she is worried for the shoppers who now “face a bit of a hike to travel to the M&S at Union Square”.
She added: “It would be helpful if some of the buses could, at certain times of the day, be routed nearer Union Square.
“This would allow some of our older residents who have loyally shopped at M&S at St Nicholas – and of course people with mobility or other disabilities – to reach Union Square.”
There is a bigger bakery section in the expanded M&S. Image: Kami Thomson/DC ThomsonMeanwhile, MSP Kevin Stewart hailed the new M&S as a “brilliant asset for Aberdeen” that should be “supported in any way that we can”.
He added: “I know that M&S will continue to work alongside stakeholders to ensure that it is as easy as possible for customers to get to their shop via public transport.”
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What do First Bus say about buses for the Union Square M&S?
As soon as the M&S closure was announced, this was a fear raised by shoppers.
At the time, last January, First Bus told us it was a situation they would investigate.
A spokesperson today said the firm was “continuing to keep a close eye on developments across the city, and how that impacts customer demand”.
They added: “A large number of our services already stop in and around Union Square but we will keep monitoring any movements in customer demand around the newly expanded M&S store.”
Read more:
Shoppers share Aberdeen M&S memories as grocery section closes for the final time
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