20-21.qxp_Grid 15/08/2018 15:28 Page 2
OVER THE COUNTER
Buzz On
Batchen Street Independent card and gift retailer, David Robertson, co-owner of JP Pozzi in Scotland, discusses retail reinvention.
Bijou, our Elgin store in Batchen Street, has been in existence for around 13 years now, not a small feat in these current retail struggles. Originally we took over the lease of an old china and glass business, which had been in the town for over 30 years, but was no longer financially viable. We felt our idea of a mix of cards, gifts, ornaments and jewellery was the way forward, as we did a little of the collectables market without all the formal dinner sets. Our products were affordable yet still quality and the instant appeal was huge. When we arrived in the street many of the shops were run down or empty, and we opened in what was a very reasonable site (paying £10k a year rent). We outgrew the original shop quickly and took a second site next door, before nine years ago buying and renovating the largest building in Batchen Street - a three storey former bar and nightclub. Batchen Street is a well-positioned secondary street, rather than a prime high street location, and this I imagine is similar to many independents’ stores. Our mix of product proved very popular, and despite the street lying largely dormant through high rents, poor landlords and a general lack of investment, our store has flourished over the last eight years. We as a 20
PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE
Above: David’s shop Bijou on Batchen Street in Elgin was formerly a three storey bar and nightclub. Below: ‘Buzz on Batchen’ Art Competition is to create a bee mascot to signify how the Elgin road is now ‘buzzing’ with interesting retailers.
business continue to evolve, and interestingly, in these last two years we have seen the street around us change, and wait for it…reinvent itself. We now have a tanning store, craft beer pub, stationery store, florists, pram shop, two beauty salons, two hairdressing salons along with solicitors, phone shops and a hundred year old butcher shop. This means that for the first time in Bijou’s time in the street it is full with people/businesses actually looking for units. These new businesses are niche, locally owned and dare I say passion projects. There is a real buzz on the street, so much so we are all working together on a competition
to design a bee mascot for the buzz of excitement around the mix of indie stores. Now that is a long introduction to highlight something quite simple: Reinvention is not a new concept Whether it is streets, football teams, actors or indeed just about anything, the need to constantly look at yourself and what you are doing and change it is obvious. I believe that our store was partly the catalyst for change in the street and it is exciting to see the street now full and busy today. This however does not directly translate into sales as we are now looking at how we can combat falling footfall and overall spend in this store, just like so many other retailers are trying to figure it out across the UK. We have a coffee shop that has continually flourished for eight years, so we have implemented the ‘experience’ factor and we have refreshed the store - but is it hip enough for the new 2018 customer? We have the desire and belief that our product mix is right, but is it really right for the new shoppers? How will I know? We know that we need to blend a digital and physical presence but are struggling with the cost and infrastructure needed for this how can we succeed? Questions, questions, questions! And while the answers are there, it is not always easy to find them in among the daily challenges. Even with the positivity of all these new stores opening around us it is still only our one street that is full. The rest of the town continues to struggle. In fact, the shopping centre, which should be the jewel in the crown of the town, feels very, very dated, like something out of the 80’s. Quite simply it is not a draw in my opinion and as it is locally owned it does not benefit from the investment and knowledge many of the larger players in this game have. Re-invention is crucial as our customer base is changing all the time. A huge part of my core audience are of a certain age, but as they disappear the next generation