Many famous names and well-loved shops have disappeared or transferred to the St James Quarter. Some of the gaps they left have already been filled and plans have been approved for many of the others.
And it’s clear from all the hoardings, scaffolding and covered-up buildings that there’s work going on to create a new face for the famous street.
City council leader Jane Meagher says Princes Street is a vital part of Edinburgh’s economy.
She says: “It’s welcome news that Princes Street continues to attract significant investment, with news of a Zedwell Hotel replacing the former Debenhams. Cranes along the skyline signal work underway on the former Forsyth’s/Topshop, Next/Zara and Jenners stores, which are also set to become hotels.
“Eateries Blank Street and Popeyes plus retailers Miniso, Uniqlo, and Panerai have all opened in the past year or announced plans to do so. Plus, as the new St James Quarter fills up, we expect to see demand spill onto Princes Street.
“I have no doubt that this investor confidence is thanks to the resilience of our local economy and our healthy business community. Recent changes to non-domestic rates relief on vacant buildings are also encouraging landlords to bring long-term empty properties back into operation.”
So what will Princes Street look like in the future? Here’s an update of what has happened and what’s coming next in some of the key sites.
1. Sainsbury's
Supermarket giant Sainsbury's is planing to open a new Local store at 18-19 Princes Street, previously occupied by health food chain Holland & Barrett. A nearby Sainsbury's Local in St Andrew Square had to close in October last year to allow work to start on redeveloping the building as a hotel. The new store is slightly smaller than the one which closed. In February Sainsbury's was refused a licence to sell alcohol in the new premises because of over-provision in the area. | TSPL
2. RW Forsyth / Topshop
The six-storey former RW Forsyth department store, most recently home to Topshop, is being refurbished with retail on the ground floor and basement, and a 95-bed Rok hotel and 14-bed Numa hotel on the upper floors. The Category A-listed property dates back to 1906 and was the first fully steel-framed building in Scotland. Forsyth's closed in 1983 and the building was sold to the Burton group which later became part of Arcadia. In 2010 the upper floors were leased to Travelodge and became a budget hotel, but the whole building closed when Arcadia went into administration in 2020. | TSPL
3. Jenners building
Edinburgh's most famous department store closed in December 2020. Now the historic Jenners building at 47-52 Princes Street - first opened in 1895 - is being redeveloped with a 90-bed boutique hotel on the upper floors, along with a cafe, bars and restaurant, and a restyled department store below. The plans for the Grade A-listed building, which are led by David Chipperfield Architects, include restoration of many original features. The aim is to open in 2027. | TSPL
4. Uniqlo
Japanese clothing chain Uniqlo opened its first Scottish store in April 2024 in the former British Home Stores (BHS) premises at 64 Princes Street. The B-listed building was purpose-built for BHS in the 1960s. BHS closed in 2016 and the upper floors were later converted into a 136-bedroom Premier Inn. | TSPL