The most wonderful time of the year is just around the corner, and what better way to celebrate than treating your pooch to some festive fun this Christmas at Dobbies.
The UK’s leading garden centre will be debuting its ever-popular Santa Paws event at the recently opened little dobbies Stockbridge store on limited weekend dates during December. A perfect opportunity to give four-legged friends a fun day out and get some great snaps for those Christmas cards.
Santa Paws offers the adorable chance for dogs to meet Santa and take home a special Christmas gift. A memorable experience for pets and owners alike.
Sarah Murray, Partnership and Events Manager at Dobbies, said: “We love welcoming furry friends to our stores throughout the year, and can’t wait to meet our four-legged customers this Christmas.
“This will be the first time Santa Paws has come to our little dobbies Stockbridge store, and we really hope locals and visitors alike can enjoy this offering.
“We have a wide range of products in-store that would make for the perfect Christmas treat for your furry friend, or special new accessory to don on Christmas day.”
This exclusive festive experience will take place outside the little dobbies Stockbridge store, where each dog will have a pre-booked slot with Santa. Booking is essential to enjoy this experience, and subject to availability.
Running on the 11,12, 18 and 19 December, customers and canines can enjoy this experienced in the run up to Christmas, priced at £6.99 per pet.
Santa Paws will also be taking place in Dobbies’ Edinburgh store during selected dates in December.
Find the full list of festive events and more information online, www.dobbies.com.
Aldi reached a huge milestone this week when it opened its 100th store in Scotland. The grand opening took place yesterday in Edinburgh’s Hermiston Gait Retail Park.
To thank its customers for their ongoing support, the supermarket is giving out prizes worth a total of £6,000 across all its Scottish stores from 25th November. The first 1,000 customers in each Scottish store that spend £25 and over will be eligible for a scratch card, with various prizes up for grabs, including two vouchers worth £1,000 each.
Aldi opened its first Scottish store in Kilmarnock in 1994, and has since expanded operations significantly in Scotland, employing nearly 4,000 people across the country, with the plan to increase their workforce by nearly 400 by 2023. The growth doesn’t stop there as Aldi is constantly looking for new site locations and on upgrading and extending their existing stores.
Aldi Scotland is incredibly proud of their local sourcing, working with 90 Scottish suppliers and stocking over 450 Scottish products, with a target of reaching 500 within 2 years. It is this commitment to supporting local that saw Aldi crowned Scottish Sourcing Business of the Year at the 2019 Scottish Food and Drink Awards and the reason they are widely celebrated as the number one supermarket for supporting Scottish farmers and food producers.
Richard Holloway, Regional Managing Director Aldi Scotland said: “Reaching 100 Scottish stores is a huge achievement and one that really is a team effort. We would not be here if it wasn’t for the hard work and dedication of all our Aldi staff and I want to thank them for their continued commitment over the years.
“We could never have imagined 27 years ago when we opened our first store in Kilmarnock that our customers would take us into their hearts and homes in the way they have.”
Graham Nicolson, Group Buying Director Aldi Scotland added: “We are so lucky to work with the most talented suppliers that Scotland has to offer to allow us to bring the very best of Scotland’s larder to our customers and I want to thank them for working in partnership with us so we can offer top quality, award-winning products at everyday amazing value.
“We are always looking at opportunities to expand our supplier base and are proud to say 30% of our range is now locally sourced in Scotland.”
To celebrate this milestone further, Aldi is issuing reusable plastic water bottles to all staff in order to be more sustainably responsible. Aldi has committed to halving its plastic footprint by 2025.
Aldi is committed to helping local communities through initiatives like the Scottish Sports Fund, which has now donated nearly £300,000 to over 500 Scottish sports club since its inception in 2016 and the Neighbourly partnership, which intends to donate 10 million meals, to those who need it most, in 2021.
Aldi has also been the Proud Supermarket Partner of the Kiltwalk since 2019.
The luxury department store expands its beauty business outside of England for the first time with the launch of H beauty Edinburgh
Harrods is proud to announce the opening of its newest H beauty store at St James Quarter on the 30th November, bringing world-leading experts in beauty, skincare, haircare and wellness to Edinburgh all under one roof.
The opening will mark the first ever H beauty to open in Scotland, demonstrating Harrods’ ambitious commitment to bring its expert beauty curation and luxury shopping experience to new communities across the UK.
Each H beauty store is developed with its local beauty community in mind, and this new 20,000 sq.ft. space will bring together a diverse portfolio of the most premium and innovative brands – from Dior and Chanel to Augustinus Bader and Sunday Riley.
The flagship opening will also introduce several new brands to Edinburgh including Charlotte Tilbury, Clé de Peau Beauté, Kylie Skin & Cosmetics, and Westman Atelier, as well as act as the first physical location in Scotland for brands such as Keys Soulcare, and Kora Organics.
H beauty will also support local talent through its ‘Born & Bred’ offering, housing up and coming Scottish brands such as Jamie Genevieve’s sensational makeup brand Vieve, as well as Moo & Yoo, Kingdom Scotland and Lola’s Lashes.
An extensive offering of cutting-edge brands will be paired with must-have products, expert-driven services, and immersive retail experiences that H beauty is renowned for, such as interactive Play tables and the iconic Champagne Bar.
“After the fantastic response that we’ve had to our previous two H beauty store openings, this launch at St James Quarter marks another significant addition to our leading beauty retail shopping destinations.
“We’re thrilled to be bringing Harrods’ incredible and innovative beauty offering to Edinburgh, giving beauty lovers throughout the local community the opportunity to play, discover and enjoy, and we can’t wait to welcome you all through our doors on the 30th November.”
Nick Peel, Managing Director at St James Quarter, said: “We are beyond excited that H beauty is opening its doors and officially joining the St James Quarter family. To be welcoming an incredible brand like Harrods is another example of St James Quarter providing brand new, game-changing experiences for our customers.
“We want to give our visitors something new to see and do every time they come back to The Quarter, so we can’t wait to see H beauty, a first for Scotland, come to life.”
The latest H beauty launch at St James Quarter follows two successful store openings, the first at Lakeside retail centre in Essex and the second at centre:mk in Milton Keynes. Harrods will continue with its strategic and ambitious plans to deliver its unrivalled H beauty shopping destinations to a wider audience across the UK with two further H beauty stores, due to open in Bristol and Newcastle over the next year.
Black Friday is one of the busiest shopping seasons of all, but although it is often the cheapest time of year to bag a bargain, a recent survey from YouGov shows that 33 percent of Scots never trust the deals they see on the day.
Every year during Black Friday there are both genuine and fake deals advertised as on sale, according to price comparison service PriceRunner who analyse thousands of sale prices every year. Last year they found that every fifth discount in their analysis was actually a fake deal.
A fake deal is when retailers subtly increase the price of a product ahead of a sales season to then lower them in time for the sale, creating a fake or inflated impression of a sale.
Christine Gouldthorp, Consumer Expert at PriceRunner, said: “This incredible sneaky sales tactic is not illegal but highly inappropriate, tricking consumers into thinking they are getting a much better deal than they actually are.
“I urge consumers to be mindful during Black Friday and always compare prices before they buy.”
Scottish shoppers are starting to catch on to this fact, according to a survey carried out in October by YouGov of more than 2,000 people in the UK. When asked if they trust the deals they see advertised on Black Friday, a third of Scots said they never do.
When able to choose as many options as applicable, the most popular way Scots find out if a deal is genuine or not is by comparing prices directly on different websites (answered by 62 percent), where the fourth most popular option is to use a comparison service (answered by 19 percent) instead.
What will Black Friday 2021 mean for Scots?
With the big day coming up this Friday, a third of Scots said in the survey that they plan to buy discounted products during the Black Friday sale, with more than one in four planning to spend up to £500 on bargains.
To find out the possible number of fake deals this year, PriceRunner has been keeping track of prices on more than 20,000 products since the end of August from the UK’s 50 most popular retailers.
Prices have already started to increase ahead of Black Friday, as 13 percent of all tracked products have increased in price by on average 19 percent (as of 23rd November). This indicates the possibility of a large number of fake deals during Black Friday this year as well.
A further third (or 29 percent) of Scots are worried that the products they may want to buy during Black Friday might not be for sale due to the ongoing HGV crisis.
According to data from PriceRunner, some of the products that are largely out of stock and might be hard to get your hands on right now are toys (12 percent), laptops (38 percent), watches (30 percent), tablets (30 percent), game consoles (28 percent), TV’s (26 percent) and golfing products (25 percent).
All Scots want for Christmas is cash
Getting ready for Santa early, 86 percent of those who plan to buy bargains on Black Friday said they will use the occasion to buy Christmas presents.
According to the survey, able to choose as many options as applicable, the top gifts Scots want for Christmas this year are:
1. A gift card or money, 26%
2. Clothes, 24%
3. An experience, 16%
4. A perfume, 16%
5. Alcohol/spirits, 15%
Of those planning to bag a bargain on Black Friday, 48 percent will be shopping only or primarily online. In general, 70 percent of Scots said they shop online more now than in physical shops, compared to before the Covid-19 pandemic started.
Best tips for shopping the Black Friday sales
Giving her advice on how to get the most out of the sale, Christine Gouldthorp, Consumer Expert at PriceRunner, shared her five top tips on how to bag a bargain during the Black Friday sale:
1. Use a comparison site to get the best price today on the product you want to buy, don’t just check a couple of your favourite websites as there is a high likelihood of a better deal somewhere else
2. When you’ve found the product you want, remember to check its price history to make sure the price hasn’t been increased before the sale
3. Keep track of the products you want by setting a price alert for them, getting an email or app notification when they drop in price, let someone else do the work for you!
4. Make a list of what you actually need during Black Friday to avoid getting carried away by deals and buying things you don’t need.
5. The best deals are usually found on Black Friday, although some retailers have extended their sales period to the full week. However, there are often even greater price reductions on Cyber Monday on the products that are left, just don’t wait too long as stock will likely run out quickly this year.
Nine in 10 (92%) Black Friday ‘deals’ are the same price or cheaper in the six months ahead of the big event, a Which? investigation has found.
The consumer champion analysed 201 of last year’s Black Friday deals at six major retailers – Amazon, AO, Argos, Currys, John Lewis and Richer Sounds – looking at their prices every day during the six months before and after Black Friday as well as on the day itself.
A huge 184 of the products, which included popular items such as washing machines, soundbars and TVs, were the same price or cheaper in the six months prior to Black Friday. Only 17 of the deals did not fall into this category.
With Black Friday just days away, Which? is advising shoppers to do some research to help them hunt down the minority of deals that really are a bargain and emerge from the mammoth sales event with high-quality products at a reasonable price.
Consumers could have had a challenge finding a decent deal at Currys last year, given every one of the 32 products Which?’s experts looked at from the retailer’s Black Friday sales had been an equal price or cheaper in the previous six months.
One of the worst individual deals Which? came across was a Zanussi ZWF81441W washing machine at John Lewis that was cheaper than its Black Friday price on 88 different days before the day itself.
‘Discounted’ to £309 on Black Friday, customers could have bought it £60 cheaper at £249 five months before and for £289 within just a month after.
Another dubious ‘deal’ was a Bush BRC100DHEB 100cm Dual Fuel Range Cooker sold at Argos for £449.99 (was £499.99) but it was actually the same price 66 times before and 19 times after Black Friday.
Out of the retailers analysed, Richer Sounds had the highest proportion of deals, four out of 14, that were not cheaper or the same price before Black Friday – still not hugely impressive.
When looking at prices six months before and after Black Friday 2020, just one of the 201 products was at its cheapest price on Black Friday alone.
Many shoppers do not do any research before they splash their cash on Black Friday, which leaves them at greater risk of falling for dud deals. Which? survey research shows four in 10 (39%) of those buying baby and child products last year did little or no research on price, while for home appliances this was the case for three in 10 (28%) and for tech products it was one in five (18%).
Which?’s survey also found that a lot of shoppers had not read reviews of products before buying them. A third (33%) of those buying baby and child products last Black Friday did little or no research on reviews of the products before buying. For those buying home appliances a quarter (26%) were in this position and for tech products it was one in five (22%).
Which?’s pricing investigation also found that, when looking at the six months after Black Friday, almost all (98.5%) of the products across the six retailers were cheaper or the same price at some point during this period – suggesting that in some cases shoppers may be better off biding their time and waiting for the price of a product to fall further.
Which? believes retailers should always make sure the discounts they quote are truly genuine.
Consumers are advised not to feel pressured to rush into making a purchase. They should look to get Black Friday bargains that are the real deal this winter and choose products that are high-quality and built to last.
Ele Clark, Which? Retail Editor, said:“Our latest investigation has shown that the vast majority of Black Friday deals are not as good as they appear to be, which is why it’s so important to do your research before diving into the sales.
“Take time to identify the products you really want and check that the ‘deal’ you’re seeing represents a genuine saving. That way, you can beat the hype and be confident that you’ll emerge from the Black Friday sales with quality products that will last for years to come – and all for a bargain price.”
Black Friday advice
How to buy better this Black Friday: The Which? insider’s guide
The hype around Black Friday leads some shoppers to make impulse buys they later regret – with many using credit or borrowing from friends and family to fund their purchases, Which? has found.
Which? surveyed 2,000 members of the public to find out how they felt about items they bought in last year’s Black Friday sales and found that the majority who bought something in the 2020 sales regretted their purchases across five of the seven product categories featured.
Three-quarters (76%) of people who bought DIY products in the Black Friday sales later regretted these purchases.
Two-thirds (66%) of people who bought home appliances, nearly two-thirds (64%) who bought baby and child products, six in ten (58%) who bought health and beauty products and more than half (53%) who bought homeware or furniture also said they regretted their purchases.
The other two categories – clothing, shoes and accessories, and tech products – saw half (49%) and four in ten (41%) of shoppers feel regrets, respectively.
Three in ten shoppers (28%) who bought DIY products had to use credit or borrow from friends or family to pay for their goods, because they did not have the funds themselves.
Borrowing because they had no other way to pay was also common among customers who bought baby and child (24%), homeware or furniture (20%) and health and beauty products (20%).
The hype surrounding Black Friday can lead people to make rash decisions, sometimes skipping steps they would usually take before buying, such as shopping around and checking product reviews.
One in five people (20%) who bought home appliances felt pressured to rush into a purchase. These figures were even higher for people who bought DIY products, with 22 per cent feeling pressured.
To guard against any rash purchases, Which? advises consumers to do some research ahead of Black Friday, keeping an eye on prices for any potentially significant purchases before this year’s deals are announced so they have something to compare them to.
Previous Which? research has found that Black Friday deals are cheaper at other times of the year. The consumer champion’s Black Friday deals guide identifies the deals that offer the best discounts and is a helpful resource for shoppers to check during the sales.
If something catches their eye on the day, consumers can also use price tracker websites to help establish if they are getting the best price and check Which? reviews to see if a product is a Best Buy.
Ele Clark, Which? Retail Editor, said:“Our research has found that many people regret Black Friday purchases, as the hype around the sales pushes them to make rash decisions.
“More worryingly, some told us they had to borrow or use credit in order to fund their purchases, which could impact their credit score if they can’t clear the debt.
“Don’t feel rushed into making an impulse purchase. Thinking about what you genuinely want or need to buy in advance of Black Friday, checking product reviews and researching the item’s price history will help ensure you stay within budget and get the best value for money in the sales.”
Scotland’s retail and hospitality industries are set to benefit from a significant job boost this Christmas, thanks to St James Quarter and its FUSE initiative.
As the retail and hospitality industries prepare for a busy festive season, more than 200 new temporary and permanent jobs will be recruited for at the development, ranging from style advisors, retail assistants, bar staff, waiting staff and chefs.
Launched by the team at St James Quarter and working in partnership with a number of organisations across the city, FUSE is a new initiative providing a high-quality recruitment service, specialising in retail and hospitality for employers both within St James Quarter and the wider Edinburgh area.
FUSE is recruiting for a variety of brands including Bershka, Calvin Klein, H Beauty, Maki & Ramen, GDK and many more.
Further to driving recruitment, FUSE will also continue to support those employed by providing further training, accredited qualifications, and ongoing networking opportunities.
Rochelle Weir at St James Quarter said:“Christmas is gearing up to be an extremely busy time for St James Quarter and all the brands within it, so we’re delighted to be working with FUSE to be providing new job opportunities for people in the city.
“The team at St James Quarter is passionate about doing our part to support and bolster the local community and we’re proud to be able to bring so many exciting career opportunities to Scotland during the festive season and beyond.”
Calum Nicol, FUSE Manager, added: “At FUSE, we’re committed to providing a leading service for both employers and employees – helping to match recruits with the needs of employers.
“Our diverse and experienced team allows us to stay at the forefront of recruitment needs, with our in-depth knowledge of all sectors placing the most suitable candidates in the most suitable positions.
“Our Job Recruitment Fair is an opportunity for those seeking employment to come down and see what’s available. There are a number of exciting brands within St James Quarter hiring and our aim is to find the right people for the right role.”
For more information of the FUSE Job Recruitment Fair visit:
Stores and restaurants across Edinburgh are celebrating the return to university with a range of exclusive discounts and promotions for students across the city.
From Monday 20th to Monday 27th September, students visiting Fort Kinnaird will be able to make the most of offers from brands including New Look, Schuh, ProCook and many more.
Here are all some of the great student discounts that will be on offer throughout the week:
· Boots – students can receive 10% discount all year round and can take advantage of the below offers from Monday 20th – Sunday 26th September including:
o Clarins – three complimentary samples to every student
o Bare Minerals – free seven-day sample of the new foundation
o Benefit – free fun size mascara when purchasing two products
o Mac – free 10-day foundation sample
· Pizza Express – 30% off food and drinks every Sunday – Thursday all year round with a valid UniDays ID
· Office – 20% off full price items (Monday 27th September to Sunday 3rd October)
New quiet grottos introduced at the Edinburgh store
With colder months on the way, the UK’s leading garden centre retailer, Dobbies Garden Centres, launches its events for the festive season, with booking open now in the Edinburgh store.
The ever-popular Santa’s Grotto experience is back. As one of the most loved, traditional festive experiences at Dobbies, little ones in Edinburgh will love walking through the outdoor woodland, spotting Christmas characters along the way before being welcomed by Santa and receiving a special gift. For those looking to create a lasting memory, a photo can be purchased.
New for 2021, at 50 stores across the UK, will be Quiet Grottos. Working in partnership with Autism Together, there will be Santa visits which are supportive of children with additional needs, considering sound and visual elements, and helping to minimise anxiety.
Michelle Walklett, Head of Autism Together’s Autism Training and Advisory Service, said: “As a specialist UK charity supporting autistic people, we’re pleased to be working with Dobbies in Edinburgh to help enhance their Christmas Grotto experience for visitors with autism and other sensory needs.
“Through this partnership, we’ll also be delivering autism awareness training for Santa and all his elves and helpers in time for the festive season.”
Christmas is not just for children, and Dobbies is extending the festive fun to four-legged friends. At Santa Paws in Edinburgh, dogs have the chance to meet Santa, along with the whole family. Guests are invited to bring their cameras to get a snap, making it the perfect Christmas card photo opportunity.
At Santa’s Breakfast, families will be able to enjoy the ever-popular Dobbies’ breakfast. The festive event includes breakfast options for adults and children, followed by fun games and a visit from Santa with a special gift for each child. This event is suited to families with children aged 10 and under.
Sarah Murray, Partnership and Events Manager, said: “At Dobbies we want to offer families an opportunity to come together and make memories that last a lifetime. There truly is nothing more magical than Christmas for a child and our range of events helps to bring the season to life for all the family.”
Dobbies’ Edinburgh Christmas events are available to view online, with customers requested to book in advance. Also new for 2021 is the opportunity to add a donation to the price of an event ticket, for Dobbies’ National Charity Partner, Teenage Cancer Trust.
Abuse directed at retail and bar staff who ask customers to comply with the law and wear face coverings will not be tolerated, Justice Secretary Keith Brown said yesterday.
It continues to be a legal requirement to wear face coverings in places such as shops and pubs and on public transport unless exempt – and Mr Brown said any form of abuse, threats or violence faced by workers as a result of simply doing their job is “completely unacceptable”.
It comes as new powers came into force in Scotland last month, making assaulting, threating or abusing certain staff a new standalone offence. Previously such conduct would be dealt with under more general offences.
Face coverings are a hugely important mitigation in the fight against COVID-19 as they create a physical barrier that helps stop the virus spreading from an infected person, while providing a degree of protection to the wearer against exposure to the virus.
Mr Brown urged people to follow the rules and treat staff with respect as Scotland continued to face high infection levels.
He said: “I would like to thank the vast majority of people who continue to wear face coverings and urge people to please follow the rules and guidelines still in place. It is still a requirement to wear face coverings in indoor public places, such as shops, public transport and when entering and moving about in hospitality settings.
“Everyone who can should wear a face covering because it is a simple and vital measure we can take to protect others and stem the spread of this deadly virus.
“Retail workers and those working in hospitality play a vital role serving our communities which has been clearly demonstrated throughout the pandemic and it’s extremely important they know they have the protection of the law when carrying out their duties.
“Any form of abuse, threats or violence faced by such workers as a result of simply doing their job is completely unacceptable and will not be tolerated.
“Parliament recently introduced a standalone law with penalties of up to 12 months in prison and fines up to £10,000 for this type of behaviour and staff serving communities across Scotland can be assured the police and prosecution services stand ready to respond to any instances as necessary.”
DCC Malcolm Graham of Police Scotland said: “Everyone has the right to go to their work without being threatened or assaulted.
“Retail workers now have added protection in law and the police will act on reports we receive about this kind of unacceptable behaviour.
“I would also continue to encourage people to follow the regulations and guidance that remain in place to help stop the spread of coronavirus.”
Solicitor General for Scotland Ruth Charteris QC said: “People in any walk of life should expect to go about their business without the fear of threats or abuse.
“This is true of shop workers who are protected in law and deserve our thanks and appreciation for the work they have done throughout the pandemic.”
By law, you must wear a face covering in certain indoor public places, including public transport, in Scotland unless an exemption applies.
