Coffee giants Starbucks are set to open in Stirling’s Thistles shopping centre this Saturday, with the first 200 customers getting the chance of special offers..
To mark the addition to the centre, Starbucks will be hosting giveaways and a competition. On Friday, September 27, the day before the official opening, vouchers will be handed out to customers within the centre to claim a free drink the next day.
Alongside the chance of a free drink, the first 200 customers who visit the new Starbucks store will be able to try samples from its signature food and drinks menu whilst also receiving a complimentary reusable tumbler with any large (venti) drink purchased on the day.
After any Starbucks purchase on Saturday, September 28, shoppers can take part in a ‘guess the number of coffee beans in the jar’ competition with the lucky winner receiving a hamper full of Starbucks coffee, merchandise and more.
Coffee fans will be able to get hot and iced drinks, cakes and savoury snacks from Starbucks first store in the city centre from 9am on Saturday.
News that Starbucks was to open its first outlet in Stirling’s city centre – within the former Carphone Warehouse store – was announced earlier this year.
Major fashion retailer H&M is also preparing to make a return to Stirling’s Thistles shopping centre, occupying part of the former Debenhams unit.
The 16,390 sq. ft store will open in Spring 2025 offering menswear, womenswear and kidswear.
The store will be adjacent to Next and will represent the return of H&M to Stirling after an absence of five years.
Works to create the new store are currently underway with regional builders, Dickie & Moore, appointed as contractor.
The Stirling Observer revealed ambitious plans for the long vacant Debenhams store in the centre earlier this year.
Stirling Council planners later conditionally approved an application by Scoop AM to subdivide all three floors of the premises into five units.
Indicative plans included a food court, gym, two large stores – which were shown on provisional plans as potentially being a new H&M and a Poundland – plus a floor dedicated to family activities.
The stores would be on the ground floor, straight off the original main mall, with a 251-seater food hall to the rear of the floor leading off the Thistles Marches mall. The gym would be in the lower ground/basement section.
The first floor would be the “family entertainment centre” with suggested activities such as soft play, trampolines, minigolf, laser quest and a ball pit.
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Debenhams, an established name in UK retail for decades, closed down in 2021 after administrators failed to find a buyer. Online retailer Boohoo had purchased the Debenhams brand and website for £55m, but would not take on any of the 118 stores or its workforce including the Thistles store and its staff.
The retailer had been the flagship store within the Stirling shopping centre, leaving significant floorspace within the premises lying empty for a long period.
As part of ongoing improvement plans, the centre has also invested in excess of £3.5 million to bring the Thistles car park back into operational use.
The car park has been closed since lockdown. Works include resurfacing and redecoration and the introduction of energy efficient lighting, a new air extraction system and a new fire detection system. Work is currently ongoing and the car park is due to open before Christmas, creating additional city centre car parking spaces.
Thistles centre director Gary Turnbull said this week: “The exciting addition of Starbucks to our roster of retailers reflects our commitment to providing our visitors with a diverse shopping experience.
“Whether it’s grabbing a coffee on the go or enjoying a moment to relax, we know that Starbucks will quickly become a favourite destination for our shoppers. We’re anticipating opening day to be busy with some fantastic prizes up for grabs, so shoppers are advised to get here early.”
Starbucks is situated on Kings Mall at Thistles, Stirling. To find our more visit www.thistlesstirling.com