'Super sad' say shoppers as M&S closes flagship city centre store after 81 years

Marks and Spencer has closed one of its flagship city centre stores after 81 years. The has shut its Aberdeen branch in St Nicholas Street, , ahead of schedule.

The store pulled down its shutters for a final time on May 3 - despite the supermarket originally saying it would close in the summer. It comes after opened a new branch in Union Square in the city in April.

Luke Smith, M&S Aberdeen store manager, said: “While we closed our St Nicholas Street location a little sooner than expected, our commitment to serving the Aberdeen community remains steadfast at our fantastic new Union Square store.

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“Here, customers can continue to expect the great quality M&S is known for, alongside the trusted value they rely on. Plus, with our expanded food hall, they’ll discover an even wider range of delicious products to enjoy."

Shoppers have been reacting to the news on social media. One person said: "A sad day for Aberdeen city. It’s going to be a ghost area."

Another said: "That’s super sad. I loved Markies." A third person posted: "It's not Aberdeen anymore, it's Abergone." A fourth said: "I've been away from Aberdeen for nearly 25 years. I left a city full of life and colour, but now nothing."

It comes as M&S continues to grappled with the aftermath of being targeted by a cyber attack over Easter weekend, which led to shoppers having issues with contactless payments and click and collect orders.

Online orders from M&S are still suspended more than two weeks on from this incident, while its stock check tool is also still unavailable.

Shoppers have also complained of gaps on shelves in some stores. In an update published on social media last week, CEO Stuart Machin said the company is "really sorry" for the ongoing issues.

He said: “We are really sorry that we've not been able to offer you the service you expect from M&S over the last week. We are working day and night to manage the current cyber incident and get things back to normal for you as quickly as possible.

“Thank you from me and everyone at M&S for all the support you have shown us. We do not take it for granted and we are incredibly grateful.

“Our teams are doing the very best they can, and are ready to welcome you into our stores – whether you are shopping for food or for fashion, home and beauty this bank holiday weekend. Thank you for your support and thank you for shopping with us. We will continue to keep you updated.”