McKay's of Queen Street

[pogofish 49]

I love this shop because it has alot of character but does anyone know what the deals is with this place. Does it only have 2 employee's, are they there every day, are they related, is the older downstairs guy still alive, how does it make a profit, can any of you address this mysterious shop once and for all?

 

Those guys originally worked for The Rubber Shop on George St.  Another of Aberdeen's idiosyncratic shops of yore:

 

 

When that sold-up and closed to make way for the Bon Accord Centre (the story about how it was then stiffed-out of a unit in the new centre is another one of Abdn's old shifty tales), the owners did the surprisingly decent thing and saw that the staff losing their jobs were looked after properly - either till retirement for the older ones or in the case of the younger ones, helped to get set-up in new jobs or businesses of their own.

Edited July 24, 2015 by pogofish

[kybosh 64]

Those guys originally worked for The Rubber Shop on George St.  Another of Aberdeen's idiosyncratic shops of yore:

 

 

When that sold-up and closed to make way for the Bon Accord Centre (the story about how it was then stiffed-out of a unit in the new centre is another one of Abdn's old shifty tales), the owners did the surprisingly decent thing and saw that the staff losing their jobs were looked after properly - either till retirement for the older ones or in the case of the younger ones, helped to get set-up in new jobs or businesses of their own.

This doesn't sound quite right , mckays was open long before the rubber shop closed

[Improved Thinker 19]

This doesn't sound quite right , mckays was open long before the rubber shop closed

 

McKay's has been open since 1905. The guy downstairs is in his 80s or 90s now.

Edited July 26, 2015 by Improved Thinker

[pogofish 49]

This doesn't sound quite right , mckays was open long before the rubber shop closed

 

Yes - they took-it over when the Rubber Shop closed. 

[Spoonie 822]

Hostile takeover? Leveraged buyout?

[Lemonade 1787]

McKay's has been open since 1905. The guy downstairs is in his 80s or 90s now.

He's pretty old but I don't know if he's that old. 70s I would have thought.

[pogofish 49]

Hostile takeover? Leveraged buyout?

 

More like they took over the day to day running of the shop and bought it up over a number of years.  

 

Used to be quite a common way of taking-over a business whilst retaining continuity when the original owners wanted to retire/get-out.

Edited July 30, 2015 by pogofish

[pogofish 49]

He's pretty old but I don't know if he's that old. 70s I would have thought.

 

He was pretty young when he used to sell me my annual set of hideous school PE kit in the Rubber Shop!

[Alkaline 1607]

Did the rubber shop sell rubber?

[Skubbs 253]

Ha, sounds like a condom shop

[JaseyBoi 47]

Unless the guy in that photae is Bryan Adams i see no need for him to be wearing Double Denim. 

[Scorge 105]

I finally went in last winter. Eccentric place, I'll say.

Looks like the roof is literally about to come in though:

https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/mckays-of-aberdeen?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=socpledgedesktop&utm_content=mckays-of-aberdeen&utm_campaign=post-pledge-desktop&utm_term=WaJbBM557

 

[ca_gere 2608]

Shouldn't have closed the rubber shop, could've have that leak patched up by now!

[jamiesd 2]

If I ever won the lottery I was always going to buy this place

[Lemonade 1787]

Is it actually still open? I'm back in the city for a couple of days next month, I must go in for a look around. 

[Improved Thinker 19]

On 12/6/2019 at 8:05 PM, Lemonade said:

Is it actually still open? I'm back in the city for a couple of days next month, I must go in for a look around. 

Yes, it's still open for now. The way the roof is looking they might have to close. Aberdeen has changed alot in recent times even I could not keep up. The police are moving into Marischal (or however it's bloody spelt) College.

I really do miss this forum. I'm coming up for 24 now.

[Lemonade 1787]

On 12/8/2019 at 1:09 AM, Improved Thinker said:

Yes, it's still open for now. The way the roof is looking they might have to close. Aberdeen has changed alot in recent times even I could not keep up. The police are moving into Marischal (or however it's bloody spelt) College.

I really do miss this forum. I'm coming up for 24 now.

I'm a month off 40 

[Scorge 105]

https://www.eveningexpress.co.uk/fp/news/local/unsightly-aberdeen-buildings-could-go-in-bid-to-revitalise-area/

Committee papers have it being demolished by next August if they get their way. That's going to be one heck of a closing down sale.

[Lemonade 1787]

Shame but hopefully he's done well off the sale of the building. And yeah there must be stock buried in there that hasn't seen the light of day for 40 years. Its a warehouse sale on its own.