A fashion retailer has put plans to open a location in Elgin on hold indefinitely ahead of the St Giles Centre closure next week.
Aberdeen-based business Style for your Shape, which provides a size inclusive styling service, had planned on opening a permanent shop in the St Giles Centre following several successful pop-up shops in Elgin last year.
The St Giles Centre in Elgin will close on January 20. Picture: Daniel Forsyth
But stores currently within the centre have been told to vacate their units by January 20 leaving those intent on staying in Elgin scrambling to find new locations to operate from within the town.
Victoria Mutch, owner of Style for your Shape, told The Northern Scot that it is now too difficult to open a store in Elgin.
She said: “The plans are on hold indefinitely as there is very limited shop options in Elgin now the centre has closed and those business who are directly affected will now be looking for new homes, so there isn’t any affordable options for us to open right now.
“It’s a real shame as we would have brought a few new jobs to the area and a size inclusive women’s boutique which is really needed.
“We will be back for an event that is upcoming in March, but apart from that, it’s hard to see how we will be able to make Elgin the home for our second shop at the moment.
“I haven’t lost confidence in Elgin as a town centre as we have proven from our pop-ups the demand is there.
“We just can’t open where there isn’t retail space.”