Inspired by our surroundings, in a different way...
Following our last post about the wee shop in St Andrews, this time we are going to shift the spotlight to our shop in Buchanan Galleries. In many ways, the shops could not be any more different, from the location, layout and atmosphere… but each shop plays a very important role in our company and serves a purpose to the right audience. So we’re taking you from the quaint cobbled street in St Andrews into Glasgow’s city centre now.
As we said before, each of our shops has its own purpose in our business, but it also is its own chapter in our company timeline. Opening our Glasgow location marked the finish of an exciting 18-month period of rapid company expansion, particularly for retail; Isle of Skye Candle Company has now had a representation in Scotland’s premium shopping destination, surrounded by stores and retail giants known all around the world. And rightfully so, may we add.
Until the opening of our Visitor Centre, the Buchanan Street shop used to serve as the Skye Candles flagship store. Being a part of Buchanan Galleries - a shopping destination for locals as much, if not more so than for visitors, has given our brand the opportunity to focus on developing the image of our stores, centre our attention not just on our products, but the overall retail experience. The products and excellent customer service across the board have always been the foundation for all our stores, but having the space, the increased demand, and in some ways, the pressure of the world class competition immediately next door has helped us learn more on how to be a ‘brand’, not just a fabulous collection of products with brick-and-mortar representation. Perhaps this learning curve would have happened either way but it was definitely accelerated by our presence on ‘the’ high street.
Isle of Skye Candle Company, Buchanan Street, 2019.
We often talk about being inspired by our surroundings – usually we are referring to the beauty of our island, but this time it translates beyond that. Seeing what works and what doesn’t, what the shoppers like and what they are missing, in the bustling centre of Scotland’s biggest city has definitely inspired a lot of decision made for our shop makeovers, and the overall approach of how we operate, not just in Glasgow but in all of our locations.
In the time when shopping online is becoming the default option for a lot of us, making sure there is value to coming to the shop, beyond the instant gratification of leaving with your purchase, is more crucial than ever.
Have you visited our stores lately? Let us know what was your favourite part of the experience!
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