Coca-Cola truck spreads Christmas cheer at Fort Kinnaird

Shoppers at Fort Kinnaird were treated to a very special visit from the Coca-Cola Christmas truck on Saturday as part of its tour of the UK.  

The festive experience offered a whole host of fun for all the family, including ‘elfie selfie’ photo opportunities and food huts serving delicious seasonal treats, as well as free personalised cans of Coca-Cola Zero Sugar given out to mark the occasion.

Visitors were also able to snap their all-important photo in front of the famous truck with the iconic image of Father Christmas on the side. 

Picture – Chris Watt Photography 07887554193 info@chriswatt.com www.chriswatt.com

Liam Smith, centre director at Fort Kinnaird, said: “Christmas is a really special time for us, and we were thrilled to be chosen as one of the locations on the tour, bringing the famous truck to Edinburgh.

“It was great to see so many visitors from across the region join us on Saturday for some festive fun as the countdown to Christmas officially begins.”   

Find out more about Christmas at Fort Kinnaird here: 

www.fortkinnaird.com/christmas.  

Major Black Friday deals at Fort Kinnaird

Picture – Chris Watt Photography 07887554193 info@chriswatt.com www.chriswatt.com

Christmas has come early at Fort Kinnaird as retailers reveal a range of exclusive, money-saving Black Friday deals for shoppers in Edinburgh – with many discounts already available in stores now. 

Savvy shoppers can discover offers including up to 50% off in store at Mamas & Papas, up to 60% off at Mountain Warehouse, up to £250 of saving per booking with TUI, up to 50% at H.Samuel and a range of tech deals at Currys, with more still set to be revealed.

Liam Smith, centre director at Fort Kinnaird, said: “Black Friday can be a great opportunity to tick off some of your Christmas list, or maybe even treat yourself ahead of the festive season, and lots of our retailers will be offering a wide range of exclusive deals. 

“A number of retailers are launching bigger deals than ever before, and with many offers also running until the end of the month there are plenty of opportunities for shoppers to take advantage of savings.”

A full list of the Black Friday offers currently available at Fort Kinnaird can be found here, with more still to be added.

*Please see individual retailer websites for terms and conditions. 

Fort Kinnaird is open from 9am – 9pm on weekdays, and 9am – 6pm on weekends.  

Lush Snow Fairy has landed at Fort Kinnaird this weekend

Fort Kinnaird has announced that the Lush Snow Fairy Tour will be visiting the centre this weekend.   

The 2023 Lush festive collection is designed around ‘Out of this world Gifting’. Shoppers at Fort Kinnaird will be able to visit the themed pop-up to browse products from both the Lush Snow Fairy and Intergalactic ranges, including body sprays, bath bombs, and the biggest ever Snow Fairy gift set. The space will also have a photo opportunity and ‘kindness wall’.    

Lush sells one Snow Fairy product every 5 seconds on average during the festive period (October – December), so visitors need to be quick to get their hands on this year’s must-have festive gifts.  

16NOV23 Lush Snow Fairy Tour at Fort Kinnaird.

The pop-up will be located next to the play park and near Caffè Nero and a full breakdown of its opening times can be found below.    

For more information about Christmas at Fort Kinnaird and to plan your festive day out, please visit https://www.fortkinnaird.com/christmas   

Lush Snow Fairy pop-up opening times:  

Friday 17th November: 09:00 – 19:30 

Saturday 18th November: 09:00 – 18:00 

Sunday 19th November: 09:00 – 18:00 

Monday 20th November: 09:00 – 19:30 

16NOV23 Adan Bpwland. . Lush Snow Fairy Tour at Fort Kinnaird.

‘Fashion Brand with a purpose’ Scamp & Dude celebrates opening weekend at St James Quarter

Scamp & Dude celebrated its official opening in Edinburgh at the weekend with a VIP event, live entertainment, hosted by brand founder and CEO Jo Tutchener-Sharp who formally cut the ribbon and welcomed excited shoppers through the doors on Saturday 9th September. 

Adding a pop of neon to the capital’s lifestyle district, St James Quarter, this is Scamp & Dude’s first store to open in Scotland and comes after a year of expansive growth for the brand, which will also see the opening of a store in Battersea Power Station, London this weekend. 

On Friday 8th September Scamp & Dude hosted a vibrant launch event with more than 180 of the city’s key influencers,media and over 100 members of the brand’s supportive Scottish community. Guests were treated to a limited-edition special Edinburgh-opening-only tote bag, thoughtfully designed, and packed with amazing Scamp & Dude and beauty must-haves. 

Engaging with the brand’s tight-knit community, the event was attended by more than 100 ‘Duders’. Dressed in head-to-toe Scamp & Dude attire, and full of anticipation and excitement, the ‘Duders’ were seen first in line creating the party atmosphere. Once inside, guests had the opportunity to explore the new store, try on new styles and press the exclusive interactive Superpower Button, to receive their very own boost of Scamp & Duder Superpowers.  

Exclusively unveiled at the launch was the Scamp & Dude ‘Bolt Room’, An exclusive shopping experience in the store, where customers can book to have
use of a private fitting room for a group of friends to try on the brand’s latest styles, all whilst relaxing with a glass of bubbly and a Scamp & Dude stylist on hand for advice. 

The official public launch of the vibrant new store at St James Quarter began on Saturday, September 9th, with eager shoppers beginning to gather as early as 7:45am in anticipation of this exciting addition to the Quarter.

The first 50 shoppers were gifted with a complimentary Scamp & Dude gift. Shoppers were entertained over the launch weekend with performances from a brass band that filled the Galleria with feel good tunes.  

The newly opened store proudly presents Scamp & Dude’s collection of women’s and children’s clothing, alongside their charitable product offerings. Situated in a location that resonates with the brand’s dedicated and swiftly expanding Scottish following, referred to as ‘Duders,’ it serves as the perfect hub for this community. 

Scamp & Dude opens at St James Quarter this Saturday

Scamp & Dude, the renowned British purpose-led fashion womenswear brand, has announced it will be opening its newest retail location in the lifestyle district of Edinburgh, St James Quarter, on Saturday (9th September). 

Scamp & Dude was established with a clear mission: to bring accessible fashion, joy, and vibrancy into every wardrobe, whilst using its big heart to give back to those going through difficult times. Beyond just serving as a retail outlet, the new premises also doubles up as a friendly, supportive environment to welcome new and existing consumers which celebrates the power of community. 

The opening of the new 2,939 sqft store in Edinburgh comes after a year of expansive growth for the brand, which will also see the opening of a store in Battersea Power Station, London. Scamp & Dude’s only store in Scotland will be situated on Level 3 in St James Quarter, which is home to some of the best and most exciting brands the city has to offer. 

To kick off the Edinburgh store’s grand opening this weekend, Scamp & Dude will be hosting immersive and fun activities and will be giving away an Edinburgh-exclusive Scamp & Dude tote bag to all shoppers that spend £100* or more over launch weekend. The tote bag has been designed in a new floral leopard print and cannot be purchased in other stores or online. (*one per customer, whilst stocks last) 

The new store will showcase Scamp & Dude’s stylish collection of womenswear, kids wear as well as charitable products and will be a fitting location for the brand’s loyal and rapidly growing community in Scotland, who known as the ‘Duders’.

The retail space will also serve as a venue for the brands ongoing charity campaigns and events, which Scamp & Dude are renowned for and will continue to run at the new St James Quarter store.

This includes the #SuperScarfMission which for every scarf sold, another is donated to a woman starting chemotherapy. To date, over 23,000 have been donated via hospital partners with a mission to reach 63,000 by next year (the approx. number of women who start chemotherapy per year).

In addition, the new Scamp & Dude store will also be home to an interactive Superpower Button, a first for the brand, which will give shoppers the chance to be assigned their very own superpower at the touch of a button. 

Scamp & Dude founder and CEO, Jo Tutchener-Sharp, said: “We are thrilled to be bringing Scamp & Dude to Edinburgh as our first Scottish location as we feel there is already a real flavour for the brand here in Scotland.  

“Being located in St James Quarter alongside so many other great brands is an honour, and we cannot wait to officially launch on the 8th of September. Our loyal community of ‘Duders’ has grown rapidly, with many located here in Scotland.

“We are looking forward to bringing the store to where our community has expanded to and providing a physical space for customers to experience the Scamp & Dude magic in person.” 

Louis Vuitton expands its Multrees Walk store in Edinburgh

Multrees Walk, Edinburgh’s most stylish destination, announces the expansion of the designer retailer Louis Vuitton, in Edinburgh. Louis Vuitton – the world’s leading high-quality products group – has been extended from 3,072 square feet to over 6,500 square feet, doubling in size.

Opening in Edinburgh over 20 years ago, Louis Vuitton was the second store to open in Multrees Walk. Over the last 2 decades, the retailer has established a loyal clientele throughout both Edinburgh and Scotland. Coupled with the added benefit from the recovery in international travel and tourism and a demand from international students, the Edinburgh store has gone from strength to strength. 

The solid growth for the brand and outstanding performance and demand for the fashion and leather goods, has granted the retailer the opportunity to double in size.

Commenting on the expansion, Adam Stone, Head of Retail Asset Management UK at Nuveen said: “Multrees Walk has become home to many leading and exclusive fashion brands, and we are proud to announce the next chapter for Louis Vuitton. 

“As one of our first retailers to open, to see Louis Vuitton trade so successfully to the point where they decided to upsize their store and expand their product offering in Edinburgh is fantastic and testament to the strong trading environment offered by Multrees Walk.

“We look forward to continuing to evolve the retail offering by welcoming further High-End Luxury retailers in the near future.”

Offering a prime location, Multrees Walk provides a luxury shopping experience in the heart of Edinburgh and houses many exclusive fashion brands including Louis Vuitton.

Louis Vuitton, Edinburgh is the only store in Scotland and has cemented its reputation as the destination for designer leather goods.

River Island unveils new Fort Kinnaird concept store

River Island has opened a new concept store at Fort Kinnaird, Edinburgh yesterday. The new space is twice the size of the previous store, occupying 10,500 square feet of trading space and promises a fully integrated shopping experience; combining physical and digital with interactive fitting rooms.

River Island’s design-led womenswear clothing and accessories will be offered alongside the brand’s expansive and versatile denim range. Menswear will carry leisurewear, denim in various fits and washes and a sophisticated range of suits and smart wear. Kidswear will offer RI baby, mini and older kids’ ranges with highlights including cute co-ords, special pieces perfect for occasions as well as everyday essentials.

As part of the launch celebrations, from 11th – 13th August, the new River Island store will host a programme of in-store events and activities for shoppers including a ‘Spin the Wheel’ experiential activation, pop-up flower shop by MUD Urban Flowers and in store competitions. The first 100 customers who spend over £55 will also receive a limited-edition tote bag filled with River Island goodies.

Liam Smith, centre director at Fort Kinnaird, said: “We’re very excited to be the first destination in Scotland to open one of River Island’s new concept stores.

“I’m sure our visitors from across the city will be just as intrigued and impressed, particularly with the innovative fitting rooms which will bring a whole new experience to shopping.”

Scotland’s first free book recycling vending machine unveiled

‘READ. SWAP. REPEAT’ AT THE CENTRE, LIVINGSTON

Scotland’s first-ever free, book recycling vending machine is unveiled at The Centre, Livingston – ‘Read. Swap. Repeat.’ – to give shoppers the chance to swap their old books for a reused one, for free, to help keep them in circulation and prevent them from going to landfill.

The ‘swapping’ vending machine stocks 200 books for adults and children.

Shoppers simply hand in old books, which are in a good condition, to the Customer Service Desk, near New Look, and collect a token to use in the machine, which is full of pre-loved books from all genres, and simply choose another one for free! Books are regularly restocked to ensure shoppers find something different every time they visit.   

Shoppers have the chance to swap up to three books at a time and also donate books to help keep the stock up without swapping. Any books which can’t be used will be donated to charity.

Katie Gallacher, Marketing Manager at The Centre, Livingston said: “Our Read. Swap. Repeat. free book vending machine is a great way for book lovers to share their favourite reads and help the environment at the same time.

“We’re delighted to be the first in Scotland to launch it and are confident it will be a big hit with visitors to the shopping centre.”

George Gellatly from Balerno, who regularly visits The Centre, Livingston with his wife Sandra, said: “I think the book vending machine is a great idea!

“I’ve seen lots of vending machines like this but never one with recycled books in it!

“Being big readers, my wife and I will definitely be using it – it is such a great way to reuse books and may be even pick one up that we wouldn’t normally go for.”

The book vending machine is situated next to Gregg’s Café and the Post Office.

Lidl is cheapest supermarket in UK

  • ​​​​​​Lidl has officially been named the cheapest supermarket in the UK, beating all major retailers, and undercutting Aldi, in latest price comparison survey
  • The analysis, conducted by The Grocer, found a basket of everyday items at Lidl cost just £50.27, making it cheaper than competitors even with their discount schemes applied
  • Lidl’s everyday grocery items clocked in more than 10% cheaper than Tesco, and a whopping £19.91 cheaper than the most expensive retailer, Waitrose

Lidl has once again been named cheapest supermarket in The Grocer’s ‘Super Grocer 33’, beating all major supermarkets, including Aldi.

The price index, which compares the price of 33 everyday grocery items across the UK’s seven major supermarkets, found Lidl to be £19.91 cheaper than Waitrose, the most expensive retailer. This win comes as Lidl’s fourth accolade, out of five surveys since the Grocer 33’s inception.

The survey also found Lidl came out cheapest even after other supermarkets’ discount schemes were applied. Overall, the discounter was found to be ten per cent (£6.17) cheaper than Tesco – and still £5.13 after Clubcard discounts were applied. Similarly, the same products at Sainsburys cost £6.80 more, with no benefit from the supermarket’s Nectar Prices.

The accolade also comes despite traditional supermarkets recently announcing an array of price drops, demonstrating that the discounter still offers better value.

The Grocer compares prices of items on shopping lists across the nation as part of the monthly analysis – from fresh produce, such as milk and grapes, to deodorant, and branded items including Hovis Bread and Kellogg’s Corn Flakes. 

Lidl offered the cheapest price on 26 products – and exclusively the lowest price for five products across a range of categories, including:

  • Baby corn at £2.79 (76p cheaper than the most expensive and 4p cheaper than the next cheapest)
  • Kellogg’s Corn Flakes at £2.05 (25p cheaper than the most expensive and 20p cheaper than the next cheapest)
  • Domestos bleach at £1.39 (21p cheaper than the most expensive and 10p cheaper than the next cheapest retailer)
  • Prawns at £1.99 (£1.76 cheaper than the most expensive and 20p cheaper than the next cheapest)
  • Custard creams at 54p (26p cheaper than the most expensive and 1p cheaper than the next cheapest)

It’s not just the Super Grocer 33 basket proving this – for the past fourteen weeks Lidl has also been cheapest in a weekly price comparison conducted by the Manchester Evening News on essential groceries.

Ryan McDonnell, Chief Executive Officer at Lidl GB, said: “Every week, independent analysis shows we are consistently the UK’s cheapest supermarket. As a result, we are seeing more customers coming through our doors and switching their weekly shop to Lidl from the traditional supermarkets.

“We know people switch to us make savings, but then stay with us when they realise that they’re not having to compromise on quality.”

SupermarketRatio Price SummaryPrice compared to Lidl
Lidl£50.27– 
Aldi£50.46+19p
Asda£54.42+£4.15
Tesco£56.44+£6.17
Sainsbury’s£57.07+£7.30
Morrisons£60.05+£9.78
Waitrose£70.18+£19.91

Easter opening times at Fort Kinnaird

Fort Kinnaird has confirmed its opening times for the Easter weekend (Friday 7th – Monday 10th April) for those looking to enjoy a day out with family and friends or pick up some last-minute Easter gifts, decorations for the celebrations.  

From Friday 7th – Monday 10th April the centre’s shopping hours will be:

  • Good Friday – 7th April: 10am – 9pm
  • Easter Saturday – 8th April: 9am – 7pm
  • Easter Sunday – 9th April: 10am ­– 6pm
  • Easter Monday – 10th April: 10am – 9pm

Fort Kinnaird always recommends checking with individual retailers for their specific opening times before setting off to avoid disappointment. For the most up to date Easter opening hours, check here: https://www.fortkinnaird.com/opening-times

Along with its wide variety of shops and restaurants, the centre has also compiled a range of options for family fun for the Easter school holidays, including the chance to meet and learn about small animals at Pets at Home, and crafting workshops at Hobbycraft where kids of all ages can enjoy clay-making and painting.

Fort Kinnaird is home to over 70 shops and restaurants including M&S, H&M, Primark, Bread Meats Bread and newly opened Chaiiwala, as well as a seven-screen Odeon cinema. There are also more than 2,600 free parking spaces.

For more information to help plan your Easter trip to Fort Kinnaird, including what’s on during the Easter holidays head here.