Shopping centres aren’t usually compared to buses, but in Glasgow’s case, you wait for one new retail development and two come along at the same time.
I’d recently touched on the owners of Buchanan Galleries, Landsec, announcing ambitious plans to demolish the shopping centre and completely transform and modernise the top end of Buchanan Street.
But it’s not the only part of the city centre preparing for an overhaul – the bottom of Glasgow’s ‘Style Mile’ will soon enjoy a makeover.
Last week the first stage of plans to demolish the St Enoch Centre to make way for a major new development were rubber stamped, signalling a real change to Scotland’s largest city for locals and visitors alike.
In what promises to completely reshape Glasgow’s urban landscape, the developer, Sovereign Centros, is keen to introduce new retail, residential and office spaces, as well as a four-star hotel, across nine blocks on the retail site.
There’s no doubt the demolition of St Enoch’s will have a major impact on both the city and Scotland.
St Enoch’s is a major economic asset for the city, generating millions of pounds in revenue each year and employing thousands of people. A staggering 360,000 shoppers pass through its doors per week and it’s a de facto tourist destination as part of Glasgow’s Style Mile – so I have no doubt creating a new, state-of-the-art development will certainly be a major boost to the city’s coffers.
The proposed development presents a unique opportunity for the city and I believe it will act as a catalyst for revitalising the surrounding areas too, breathing new life into the economy and transforming the city centre as a vibrant, attractive and modern destination – not just during the day, but at night too.
Glasgow City Council needs to keep this front-of-mind for the full economic potential of Sovereign Centros’ plans to bear fruit. Glasgow is well known across the UK as a great place to visit, however the council should be doing a lot more to encourage workers and locals to spend more time in the city centre after work and on weekends. Wander through town after 6pm on a weeknight and it feels all too quiet.
With the surge in footfall a new retail destination will bring, local retailers, restaurants, and other service providers will hopefully experience a real boost in sales and exposure.
This ripple effect will create a vibrant and thriving business ecosystem, supporting local entrepreneurship and promoting economic resilience within the city centre. A must, especially post pandemic, when our high streets have been struggling to survive.
It’s also no coincidence that both St Enoch’s and Buchanan Galleries are being earmarked for demolition for developers to start again. In business you must evolve with the times, and retail is certainly going through a real step change.
In the early 2000s, Glasgow was dominated by large, high-street stores such as Marks & Spencer and Debenhams, but with the sharp decline in the number of these stores, as shoppers turn from the high street to purchasing online, forward thinking is required.
No longer is it possible for solely brick and mortar shops to attract the required footfall. City centre shopping destinations need excellent amenities – leisure facilities, bars and restaurants, if they are to survive.
That’s why the St Enoch’s proposal, featuring a wide variety of mixed-use plans, is the future – providing a more attractive place to live, work, and visit.
With my background in commercial property, the proposed new office space also caught my attention. Glasgow has seen a real upward trend in commercial property recently, with the city enjoying the highest investment volumes compared to the rest of the country.
The new development, in time, will provide a much-needed fresh supply of high-quality, purpose-built commercial spaces to meet the evolving needs of modern businesses.
What’s more the upgraded infrastructure and amenities will attract a diverse array of businesses and investment, which can only be good news for both the city and the economy.
It’s an exciting time for Glasgow and, if Landsec’s plans for Buchanan Galleries also come to fruition, it will be interesting to see just how one of the largest city economies outside of London can drive forward over the next decade or so.
Tourist tax plans require care and consultation
MSPs have been presented with legislation to give local authorities the power to introduce what’s being dubbed the “tourist tax”.
The Visitor Levy would give councils the ability to tax overnight accommodation.
In Edinburgh, it would see a charge of £2-per-night added to the room price for the first week of a stay, and we may see this go live as soon as 2026.
This model is actually pretty common – I’ve stayed in hotels around the world which do this. It’s usually found in destinations that have such a strong tourist industry that they need to tax visitors separately for the wear and tear that they place on cities and areas of interest.
A recent poll found 85 per cent of locals in Edinburgh support the change, but it needs to be done well or that support could plummet.
We don’t want to see it negatively impacting on tourism, counteracting the benefit of the tax in the first place.
We’re known for our hospitality the world over, attracting millions of visitors every year, and we need to maintain our sterling reputation.
The key principles of this tax, in a nutshell, are that it’s fair, simple, efficient, raises income that’s transparently invested, and have transparent governance and accountability.
Local communities, tourism organisations and businesses are going to be consulted and rightfully so, and I’m sure they’ll be scrutinising the legislation closely to make sure it aligns with these principles.
If this is going to happen, it needs to be done with extreme caution and careful consideration so it’s done properly.
It Made Me Laugh
Weegie wisdom from a chatbot? Nae bother
Love it or loathe it, artificial intelligence is now impossible to escape.
School kids are using it to write their homework, and businesses are utilising its capabilities for hundreds of different tasks every day. It’s a new frontier.
Some are still a bit wary of the technology and some even fear it, so let me lighten the mood. Someone’s invented GlasgowGPT, the cheeky chatbot trained to chat with a Weegie attitude.
I gave it a whirl and asked it the secret of business success, and it replied: “Aye, here it is: there is no secret. Sorry tae burst yer bubble, mate.”
It went on to advise about hard work and determination, and dished out some tips – it gave me a laugh and I was pleasantly surprised to see proper advice that was on point!
It Made Me Weep
Skills gap threatens future of Scottish SMEs
A massive percentage of our SMEs reckon skills shortages are impacting their profitability – 67 per cent of them according to the Open University in Scotland.
That’s a worrying number, and 25 per cent of those surveyed said people management skills were their biggest skill shortage, with finance coming in a close second at 24 per cent.
Disappointing as it may be, there’s help out there. The survey showed less than a third of SMEs had heard of the Upskilling fund, Part-Time Fee Grant, or Flexible Workforce Development Fund which offers £5000 worth of free and flexible training with The Open University, supported by council funding.
The skill shortages won’t be an easy fix, but it is great to see likes of the Open University working to bridge the gap and offering a helping hand.
