'What a sad day' - Edinburgh residents react to post about Princes Street Poundland opening

Edinburgh residents have voiced their displeasure at the new Poundland on Princes Street on a Facebook post announcing its opening today.

A post on the Edinburgh Spotlight page featuring a picture of the new store and the tag: "Princes Street Poundland is open", saw hundreds of people take to the comments section to state that the new shop was bringing the traditional shopping street down.

One user wrote: "Sad times. Thankfully we will remember Princes Street in its prime. Fabulous shopping days out when all the major department stores traded on this great street - now we have Poundland."

• READ MORE: Poundland opens TODAY in Princes Street: Here are some of the bargains you could find as part of their new expanded rangeWhile another added: "Princes Street, once the epitome of class and good taste, is now becoming tatty and downbeat and it breaks my heart to see it thus. I wish all of you could have seen it in its heyday, as I did."

The new Poundland has opened on Princes Street.

One person stated that it used to "one of the prime shopping streets in the world", before adding that it's now just "mostly tat shops and bottom end retailers".

Another blamed the council, stating: "What a sad day, when the beautiful thoroughfare that used to be Princes Street, has descended to this low grade retailing. Not appropriate for here. Has its place in town high streets or shopping hubs, but not one of Europe’s most iconic streets. Shame on this city council for allowing this!!!"

More took to the page to call the opening "embarrassing" and an "eyesore".

However, not everyone was angered by the opening of the new store, with many stating that it was preferable to having an empty unit and stating that it would bring jobs and affordable products to the street.

A poster called Scott Ellis replied: "What a bunch of snobs, it's about time we had another shop where people on a budget can shop, times are hard now for many people so a pound shop is most welcome in my eyes."

Andrew Dewar added that some people may be viewing the past with rose tinted glasses, he said: "All these people commenting on how Princes St used to be great shopping back in their day. News flash - Princes St like Edinburgh in general has always been rubbish for shops (1or2 exceptions) even Livingston has been better for the last 20 years".

Helen Gunn quipped: "What a snobby lot you are. I’m Edinburgh born and I’m glad to see Poundland there rather than an empty shop

Fur coat and no knickers comes to mind."

While Claire Louise put it simply: "Better than another tartan tat shop! Anyone disgruntled should stick to George St...."

Earlier this month, Poundland hit back at critics of its move to open an outlet on the prime shopping street - with a cheeky message posted over half of its storefront joking featured the ‘Poundland Times’, complete with the hashtag #PRINCESSTREETPROUDLAND which cited an article in a London-based newspaper which had claimed that the chain “threatens to cheapen Princes Street”.