Affordable eyewear firm Iolla is coming to Aberdeen for the first time. Signs teasing the new store have been spotted outside the Bon Accord, with shoppers encouraged to “take a peak inside.”
New location and opening details
Located next to Nail Lab, the store will be at 1-5 George Street, Schoolhill. The unit has been empty since the permanent closure of Desert Rugs, the city’s only Persian rug store, due to supply chain issues on July 18.
Signage in Iolla’s signature orange hue proclaims “Aberdeen, we’ve made it” and that the new shop is “coming soon.” The brand’s website confirms it will open in Autumn 2026, although an official date is yet to be set.
Pictures of eyewear designs highlight “a taste of what’s to come.” A mounted pair of binoculars lets eager shoppers “take a peak” inside the new store.
Brand background and expansion
This will be the fifth showroom across the country for the Scottish-founded brand. Founded in 2015 in Glasgow, Iolla opened its first showroom in Finnieston, then a second on West George Street. There are also two showrooms in Edinburgh, in the St James Quarter and Bruntsfield.
Across the UK, there are seven showrooms in total, with others in Manchester, Cambridge and London. Iolla was founded on the concept that eyewear should be affordable, with prices starting from £85. It has a perfect five-star rating on Trust Pilot.
Over 100 designs are available, ranging from prescription glasses to sunglasses. Each frame goes through “multiple rounds of refinement,” with feedback from wearers influencing whether they end up in the collection.
Other new openings in the area
Iolla is one of several new openings set for the North-East of Scotland this year. Fast-food chain Beef King has confirmed it will open its second branch in the country in September, with signs already in place for the new unit on George Street.
A new concept called ‘Allegro’ is set to open in the city, though the official date has not been revealed. The “vibrant” new bar will breathe new life into a historic building at 150 Union Street. Designed as a heritage-led restaurant, it aims to bring together music, people and food under one roof, with events such as live music nights and social dining evenings.
In the Bon Accord Centre, premium furniture chain Bliss Beds recently opened its new store, relocating from the Trinity Centre. It now occupies the unit that formerly housed the Aberdeen Curated market, which has moved next door.
Outside Aberdeen, one of the most anticipated openings is Sephora in Glasgow, which takes place tomorrow, August 13. Located in Silverburn, the shopping centre has revealed advice for the big day: while the store officially opens at 10am, shoppers can queue from 8am. However, overnight queuing is “not allowed,” with eager beauty enthusiasts encouraged to “get a good night’s sleep.”
