Scottish Power / Excalon move back to Craigleith on Monday (19 August) with Groathill Avenue closed between Telford Road and Sainsbury’s garage for around 5 weeks.
Groathill Road South will also be closed at Telford Road with local access retained via South Groathill Avenue.
Scotland’s first state-of-the-art hearing stores open in capital
On Monday (29 July), Edinburgh welcomed Scotland’s first World of Hearing store from Boots Hearingcare.
The store is not a regular hearing test centre. It offers an impressive high-tech immersion room designed to revolutionise the way people think about hearing care.
The Lord Provost, Robert Aldridge, officially opened the store, with councillors including Hal Osler, Lezley Marion Cameron, and Claire Miller in attendance, as well as representatives from the Lions Club and Deaf Action.
With approximately 11 million people in the UK living with an untreated hearing lossii, it is the UK’s second most common disability.
The new World of Hearing store offers customers the chance to test out a range of hearing aids for themselves in a variety of settings – such as a busy restaurant or concert.
This helps people get a feel for what it would be like to have a hearing aid fitted in real life. The new store supports Boots Hearingcare’s mission to break down old fashioned stigmas around the use of hearing aids and demonstrate first-hand how transformational life can be when you reconnect with the sounds you love.
The store also allows customers to trial hearing aids before purchasing, enabling them to experience the benefits first hand.
Jack Lovie, Hearing Aid Audiologist at Boots Hearingcare, said: “The team and I are very excited to be part of the first World of Hearing store in Scotland.
“This state-of-the-art experience will provide a new perspective on hearing aid technology and hearing aids, by providing new and innovative ways for the people of Edinburgh to discover how their hearing, confidence and overall quality of life can be significantly enhanced through the use of modern hearing solutions.
“Regular hearing tests are crucial not only for ear health but also for mental well-being, as hearing loss can lead to feelings of isolation, loneliness, and reduced social participation. By ensuring that hearing health is actively monitored, individuals can enjoy those special moments more with family and friends.”
According to Boots Hearingcare research:
· 35% of hearing aid users in Scotland lived for five years with an untreated hearing loss before taking action, with 44% of people living in denial of their hearing loss.
· 32% of Scottish hearing aid users began to socialise less frequently as a result of not being able to hear, with 26% who began to dread social situations and / or family occasions.
· Almost half (47%) of people missed out on socialising with friends as a result of living with an untreated hearing loss due to feeling anxious about not being able to hear and finding the listening effort too tiring.
· Over half (56%) of Scottish hearing aid users coped with an untreated hearing loss by turning up the volume on the TV and by guessing what was being said during conversations.
· 53% of hearing aid users in Scotland believe there is some stigma associated with hearing loss and/or wearing hearing aids.
· 74% of Scottish hearing aid users have loved being able to chat with friends and family more easily since being fitted with hearing aids, with 56% of those loving this the most about the hearing aids.
Echo Lu, Managing Director of Boots Hearingcare said: “We are delighted to be opening the World of Hearing store in Edinburgh, the first of its kind in Scotland, providing customers with an immersive state-of-the-art environment to solve their hearing problems.
“On average, it takes ten years for someone to address they have a hearing problem. We hope this new innovative format can help remove the stigma associated with hearing loss and encourage more people to act on their hearing loss and to experience the joy of better hearing and better quality of life, with the latest technology and great customer care from Boots.”
The store is located inside of the Boots UK store on Princes Street.
Boots is today unveiling a new look, fully refurbished store on Princes Street in Edinburgh. Packed with a host of new brands, the store has been completely transformed and redesigned to create the very best shopping experience for customers.
The store refit, which was completed earlier this month, features an extensive beauty hall with new and updated beauty counters. It is also now home to 12 exciting new Premium Beauty and Haircare brands including Kylie Cosmetics, Sol de Janerio, Caudalie, Philip Kingsley, Fenty Beauty and many more, as well as all of the much-loved beauty brands that customers enjoy shopping for at Boots, such as No7, Liz Earle, Soap & Glory and Boots own brand. The store also offers five Boots Beauty Specialists that are on hand to offer beauty advice and guidance to customers.
The healthcare space in the store has also been reinvented, with a new look pharmacy. Located on the first floor, the new healthcare area includes a new dispensary and two new private consultation rooms, that will allow the store to offer more healthcare services than ever before, including covid vaccinations, chickenpox vaccinations, HPV vaccinations, NHS Pharmacy First services and Blood Pressure Checks.
Kirsten Darling, Store Manager said: “We are delighted to unveil our new and refurbished store to the local community.
“The store really is a one stop shop for health and beauty at the heart of Edinburgh, and we are so proud to continue serving the community on such an iconic and well-known street. The store has a lot of history, having originally being built in 1912, and now this refit will see us fit to serve into the future.
“We have lots of exciting new beauty brands, revamped health and beauty areas, as well as expert advice and services available. I’d like to say a huge thank you to my store team who have been amazing throughout the whole refit process and we hope customers love the new look store as much as we do.”
The store is now also home to Scotland’s first World of Hearing area, which offers customers the chance to test out a range of hearing aids for themselves in a variety of settings; by impersonating what it would sound like if they were in a busy restaurant or at a concert. This helps people living with hearing loss to experience the benefits of having a hearing aid fitted in real life situations.
The store is holding a celebration event this weekend with customers invited to visit the store throughout Friday 26th to Sunday 28th July. They can enjoy product sampling, a DJ, plus cupcakes and refreshments. The weekend event kick-starts with a ribbon cutting ceremony at 9am on Friday.
The first 200 customers to visit the store from 9am will receive an exclusive tote bag from Scottish beauty brand BYOMA, including minis of its best-sellers; the Creamy Jelly Cleanser and Moisturising Gel Cream.
