Wednesday 18 January 2012

Bruce millers over the years

Bruce Millers first shop, George St (1900-1977)

Bruce Millers, Loch St (1983-1983)

Bruce Millers, Union St (1983-2011)

It's interesting to look at the changes to the shop frontage over the years, symbolizing changes in consumerism and the graphics that appealed. 

Monday 16 January 2012

The future of our high streets?

It doesn't take much searching to find an empty shop unit on Aberdeen's busiest high street, union street. I walked the length of union street with my camera to document these, below are a few of the empty units.
Bruce Millers Jan 2012


One of the more recent and iconic names to close its doors was Bruce Millers. 111 years of trading in Aberdeen came to an end on the 6th June 2011. Leaving another hole in union street.

Unit on Union Street, Aberdeen. Jan 2012
Union street is supposed to be Aberdeen's busiest high street, it's supposed to be the heart of shopping in Aberdeen. Yet units like this are being left in very poor condition and really do impact on the visual appeal of the high street. The windows are dirty, out of date posters, out of date properties being advertised and incomplete signage. This doesn't look welcoming and impacts on the appeal of the surrounding shops.

Esslemont & Macintosh Jan 2012
Ever since this department store closed on the 5th May 2007 this huge retail unit has laid empty. It currently has council messages on the boarded up windows. It really does look awful and situated near the likes of marischal college it is terrible.

Unit on Union St Jan 2012
Are high streets destined for failure?