Poundland’s Elgin branch to reopen on Saturday ending six-year wait
A six-year wait will finally come to an end on Saturday morning when the Elgin branch Poundland reopens for business.
The store is set to have a ribbon-cutting ceremony as it welcomes customers back to its extensively renovated premises on the high street.
Gerry McAloon, the branch manager, said: “It’s fantastic and a bit surreal to be coming back after so long.”
Poundland originally closed after serious problems were identified with the building in May 2018.
For a while its staff travelled to the company’s branch in Inverness. However, they have been operating out of the nearby TK Maxx building for many months
The newly opened store is nearly twice the size, stocking a range of clothing and homeware as well as chilled and frozen food.
Gerry first moved to Elgin in 1993 to run Woolworths, which once stood where Poundland does now.
Poundland stepped in after that company went out of business, first leasing the building, then buying it outright.
Although the sale was for a nominal fee, the cost of the renovation in the years since has been significant. The building remains the only one its 800 stores across the UK that Poundland owns.
Major changes to the traffic network in central Elgin were required when the work was still ongoing, with North Street closed to to vehicles, while Batchen Street was opened up to them.
Jerry said: “The fact that Poundland have invested so much in this building is great for Elgin.
“Judging by the number of questions we’ve been fielding from folk about when we’re opening, there’s a lot of interest in the town. I think we’re going to be in for a very busy day on Saturday.”
