An Aberdeen trader has said the likely closure of John Lewis is “fantastically disappointing” for small businesses on George Street – but insisted the area’s shops will “keep going”.
Stuart Milne, general manager of Finnie’s the Jewellers and chairman of the Greater George Street Traders Association, believes John Lewis bosses have “made a mistake” in choosing to shut down the Aberdeen department store.
He accepts its loss would be a “huge setback” for local footfall – but said the area also has enough “vibrancy” to bounce back should the final decision go against the city.
John Lewis bosses announced on Tuesday they plan to permanently close the Granite City’s flagship store, putting 265 jobs at risk.
Mr Milne said: “It is fantastically disappointing, not only for people and the community on George Street – it’s a lot of small businesses for the most part – but for the whole of the north-east.
“I think people are desperate to get out and go shopping again and there will be an explosion of business, so I do believe that John Lewis has made a mistake here.
“But all businesses are run by accountants at the end of the day and you either make enough money to cover your expenses or you don’t – and clearly they have decided that with the rates, costs and overheads the figures just don’t add up.
“We’re all in the boat where we don’t know quite what is going to happen, but there will be a rebound of business that will allow us to keep going.”
George Street businesses have been hard-hit by Covid restrictions, with some claiming the area has become a “ghost town” during the pandemic.
Bosses of Thain’s Bakery said they had watched as sales dropped by as much as two thirds compared to last year, leaving them £35,000 out of pocket every week
Mr Milne said the potential closure of John Lewis would be a “huge setback” for the the Bon Accord Centre and George Street but insists they can come out of this “better than other parts of the city”.
He added: “John Lewis was certainly a draw for us and now we have to think of other ways of increasing footfall.
“There will be life after this but it certainly doesn’t make out job any easier.”
George Street councillor Sandra Macdonald agreed there was “real concern” about the ripple effect the closure of such a large department store could have on local businesses.
She added: “Traders are rightly worried about the future and I know there are moves to get to the bottom of how that site can be salvaged.
“We need to have a department store in Aberdeen and it is imperative we find out what the main barriers are to enabling John Lewis to operate successfully going forward.
“With all the investment we’ve seen there is a real buzz about the future of Aberdeen and as politicians and a community we need to stand together to come up with a solution to this.”
