Almost two and a half years after the closure of Hillhead’s Co-Op, a new grocer opened its doors for students last month.
Greens Retail is a Scottish family-run convenience store chain that has collaborations with other businesses like Iceland, Co-Op, and Fisher & Donaldson.
In May 2023, it was revealed that there were significant amounts of Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) in multiple buildings across the University of Aberdeen’s estate, resulting in closures with no foreseeable date for reopening.
RAAC heavily impacted structures across the UK, with multiple Scottish universities and colleges forced to close a selection of their buildings.
One of the RAAC-affected buildings was the ‘Headspace’ building at Hillhead Student Village, the University’s accommodation facilities for students. The Headspace building housed the Co-Op convenience store, as well as ‘The Works’ cafe bar, study spaces and gaming tables.
These amenities were still advertised to students moving in for the 2023/24 academic year, leaving many residents disappointed upon arrival when access to Headspace was limited, and their rent payments remained the same, despite the lack of on-site services.
The Gaudie exclusively revealed in February that contracts had been agreed with Greens Retail for a new shop to be opened in a non-RAAC impacted building beside Headspace. It was rumoured that the shop would be open around May but officially opened its doors instead this October.
Current residents in Hillhead are excited about the shop’s arrival, and spoke to The Gaudie to explain their thoughts.
“I’m delighted that there is a shop here now,” said one first year. They explained that their elder sibling had lived in Hillhead the year before and had found the lack of a shop frustrating, adding, “I wasn’t looking forward to the trips back up the hill with all my loaded shopping bags.”
Another student, going by T, is staying in Hillhead for the second year in a row. He thinks that the Green Retail is making the accommodation’s rent worthwhile this year:
“These are the sort of amenities and conveniences that should be there for students in University accommodation. My friends at other universities have things like bars, cafes and shops on-site, so this feels like a step in the right direction.
“Residents are finally getting our money’s worth now that we have a shop so close.”
Some students who lived previously in the village have voiced their annoyance that a store was absent while they lived at Hillhead. Syd, a now-third year student who moved into Hillhead in September 2023, found the lack of facilities frustrating:
“I expected there to be a shop on-site after seeing it advertised when choosing accommodation, so it was disappointing to move in and find out that there wasn’t.”
Students had to go to the Lidl on King Street, which was down the hill from the accommodation. Whilst it may seem a short walk, the hill’s incline is steep and proved an obstacle to students with disabilities.
Syd, who has Type 1 diabetes, told The Gaudie about the extra mental prep that went into having to travel to pick up essentials:
“I had to prepare for trips to the Lidl when just trying to simply grab a couple groceries because I didn’t want my blood sugar to drop on the walk back. It may have been quite close by but there were times I almost passed out from low blood sugar on my walks past. There were buses but they were far apart and inconsistent so I couldn’t rely on them to get me back.”
The Gaudie spoke to a representative from Greens about the opening in Hillhead. They shared:
“We’re so excited to open our brand-new Greens of Hillhead store and become part of the amazing University of Aberdeen community! At Greens Retail, our mission has always been to be “at the heart of the community” – providing great value, local produce, and friendly service across our award-winning stores throughout Scotland.
“Our Hillhead store has been created with students in mind – offering everything from fresh groceries and everyday essentials to loads of food-to-go options. Pop in to try our noodle station, nacho station, or grab unlimited coffee refills – perfect for powering through long study sessions or fuelling those early morning lectures!”
Greens announced a planned initiative to encourage students to shop in store:
“To celebrate our opening, we’re also launching (VERY SOON) an exclusive Student Loyalty Scheme – available only at Greens of Hillhead! Featuring some exciting features, this is coming to students very soon! Stay tuned on our socials for more information all about our student loyalty scheme.”
With the cost-of-living crisis deeply impacting students, Greens are also launching a scheme to try help reduce grocery prices for students in Hillhead:
“As part of our commitment to kindness and community, we’re also proud to introduce The Kindness Chain – a simple pay-it-forward initiative that helps support anyone in need within our local area. Customers can donate £1.50 at the till to “start a Kindness Chain,” which creates a Kindness Token displayed on our in-store board. Anyone in need can discreetly take a token and use it as £1.50 off their shopping – no questions asked.
“At Greens, we believe convenience retail should do more than just open doors – it should bring people together, support local communities, and make everyday life a bit brighter.”
Sharing with The Gaudie, a first-year Politics student expressed their concerns about this scheme:
“It’s a nice idea but unfortunately more students need the discount than will be able to pay it forward – I’m not sure how well it will work. The cost-of-living crisis impacts us all, and I know I budget quite tightly. It will be interesting to see how the initiative plays out.”
The news Greens of Hillhead store can be found beside Headspace in Hillhead Student Village.
