Here are the business stories making the headlines across Scotland and the UK this morning.
Aberdeen’s former Union Street RBS to be turned into flats in latest bid to boost Granite Mile
Plans to convert the former flagship Royal Bank of Scotland building in the heart of Aberdeen city centre into flats have been given the go-ahead.
The building has lain empty since the bank shut its doors to customers for the last time in November 2024. Aberdeen-based firm Sanaland Ltd lodged plans for the proposed transformation last summer.
Bosses wanted to turn part of the ground floor and upper four storeys of the site into 10 residential apartments.
£1.2million loss for Aberdeen hospitality group behind Soul bar and fire-hit Vovem
Aberdeen hospitality group PB Devco has reported widened losses after a year dominated by recovery and rebuilding work following a devastating fire at its Vovem restaurant.
The group operates popular Granite City venues including Soul, College, The Howff, So NYC, Motif, Union Kirk and Queen Vic.
It recorded a pre-tax loss of £1.2million in the financial year ending 31 March 2025. That compares to a pre-tax loss of £182,000 the previous year. Turnover also fell from £9.3m to £8.2m.
Estate agents sue Rightmove for £1.5billion over ‘excessive’ fees
A group of estate agents have joined a class action claim suing Rightmove for £1.5billion, claiming that Britain’s go-to property search website has charged them “excessive and unfair fees”.
The £1.5billion legal claim, which has been brought by Jeremy Newman, a former Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) panel member, was filed in the Competition Appeal Tribunal on Wednesday morning.
Newman said that more than 250 estate agencies around the country had “expressed interest in and support for” the claim.
Retired Aberdeen University professor revealed as Reform candidate for city
A former Aberdeen University professor has been unveiled as Reform UK’s new candidate in the city centre – after the previous MSP hopeful pulled out.
Professor James Wyllie was originally slated to stand in Angus but will now contest the Aberdeen Central constituency in a last-minute shake up.
American-born Jordan Brown was initially unveiled as Reform’s candidate for the seat on March 19 last month.
New laws to make it easier to cancel subscriptions and get refunds
New laws will make it easier to cancel subscriptions and get refunds for unwanted auto-renewals, the government has said.
A crackdown on "subscription traps" could save the average person nearly £170 a year, according to the Department for Business and Trade (DBT).
Consumers will no longer have to make "endless phone calls" to cancel a subscription, and they will be given a 14-day cooling off period after the end of a trial period, or when an annual subscription automatically renews.
Petrol and diesel prices rise at record rate in March, says RAC
In March UK petrol and diesel prices jumped more than in any previous single month, the RAC has said.
Higher wholesale energy prices due to the US-Israel war with Iran have led to a record monthly rise in pence per litre of fuel, the motoring organisation said.
A 20p rise in the cost of petrol and a 40p increase in diesel in the month since the conflict began has made filling the tank much more expensive.
Elon Musk's SpaceX moves to become a publicly traded company
Elon Musk's SpaceX is poised to become one of the most valuable publicly traded companies in the world.
The company, which manufactures rockets, space exploration technology and Starlink satellites, is currently privately held. But on Wednesday it made a confidential filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for an initial public offering, which would allow shares to be traded in the stock market.
The value of SpaceX once it goes public is expected to surpass $1trillion (£751bn). That would make its eventual stock market debut one of the most financially significant in history.
Unilever shareholders denied vote in $66billion merger with US group
Shareholders in Unilever will be denied a vote on the second-largest food transaction in history as the consumer goods group seeks to merge with McCormick, the US-based spice and seasoning maker.
The landmark deal will combine Unilever’s food arm behind Marmite and Hellmann’s mayonnaise with the US owner of French’s mustard and Frank’s hot sauce, creating a transatlantic food giant with an estimated enterprise value of around $66billion.
However, despite its scale investors in Unilever will not be allowed to vote on the deal after the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) implemented a new set of listing rules in 2024 that removed the requirement for a mandatory shareholder vote on most “significant” merger and acquisition deals.