Savoy traders' plea to return Glasgow's Sauchiehall Street 'to normal'

Independent retailers based in The Savoy Centre claim they have seen a drop in footfall – with some reporting losses of up to hundreds of pounds each day – since major works to transform the street began last September.

The Savoy is nestled in the centre of the section of the street, between Rose Street and Hope Street, which has been dug up for months as part of the Avenues Project.

As such, traders say they have been hit hard and are calling on Glasgow City Council to return Sauchiehall Street “to normal” as quickly as possible.

Work on the Avenues Project on Sauchiehall Street first began in September 2023 (Image: Colin Mearns)

Ali Movaghatian, owner of Undercover Clothing (Image: Colin Mearns)

Ali Movaghatian, who runs Under Cover Clothing, told the Glasgow Times that the ‘messy’ physical appearance of the works has put customers off of visiting.

He said: “It has kept going for so long. They have dug the main road up so many times. It affects us very badly.

“Nobody is coming in because they have blocked it so nobody can come from one side of the street to the other side.

“It has been really, really bad for us. There are a few shops that have opened and then shut because they have not had the footfall.

“Many customers who have come from the outside come to us and say it’s a mess. So when it’s a mess there’s no attraction for them to come.”

READ NEXT: The real reason why Glasgow's Sauchiehall Street is being dug up

(Image: Colin Mearns)

Bernadette Lee, owner of Savoy Podiatry (Image: Colin Mearns)

Bernadette Lee, owner of Savoy Podiatry, raised concerns about her elderly clients having to walk around the metal barriers surrounding the perimeters of the works as well as the lack of space on the street.

She commented: “A lot of our clients are elderly and are having to walk halfway up Sauchiehall Street to come all the way back down again.

“It’s putting them off actually coming into the city centre. The way that they have put the railings up means they take up so much space and you’ve got delivery bikes coming up and down.

“A few of our customers have had run-ins with them. It’s very concerning for them. I think we [other businesses] just want the work done now and Sauchiehall Street back to normal.

“Sauchiehall Street was one of the busiest, well-known streets in Glasgow and now people aren’t coming here because of it [the works], it’s putting them off.

“We initially thought it would be done within a couple of months but they started last September and it’s still rolling on.

“They don’t seem much further forward with it.”

(Image: Colin Mearns)

Jenny Yu, owner of N1 Luxury Hair (Image: Colin Mearns)

Jenny Yu, who runs N1 Luxury Hair, said: “Sometimes the works are too noisy and a lot of people say the space outside is too tiny.

“Sometimes mums can’t get in with their prams. There’s nothing we can do.”

READ NEXT: Multi-million-pound makeover for busy Glasgow shopping street delayed 

Malgorzata Kulig, owner of Voseba Bakery and Cafe (Image: Colin Mearns)

Malgorzata Kulig, owner of Voseba Bakery and Café, told our reporter that she feels that the council “don’t care about the businesses”.

She said: “It’s so, so slow. For us, it has had a huge impact because during the summer there are more tourists but they are avoiding this street because of the mess.

“Our income is less, around £200-£300 a day, so it’s huge. I pay exactly the same rent as last year, everything we pay is the same.

“I can’t wait until they are finished and we can go back to normal and I hope when it is done it will bring more people in because now it’s like everybody is avoiding the street.

“The council doesn’t care about businesses. Do you see all of the empty units on this street?”

(Image: Colin Mearns)

(Image: Colin Mearns)

Works outside of The Savoy Centre on Sauchiehall Street (Image: Colin Mearns)

Sauchiehall Street is expected to be fully open by Spring 2025. However, most of the work should be completed before Christmas. 

It is understood that there has been a 10 per cent reduction in business rates for businesses in this area during the works. 

A Glasgow City Council spokesperson said: "The works recommenced this week after the contractor's holiday for the Glasgow Fair, and we expect the vast majority of the work to be complete ahead of Christmas.

"Both the contractor and council officers continue to engage with local businesses on the progress of the works, which – while not looking great at the moment – will create a far more attractive environment for people to visit and shop when complete."