Make Space to Play!

Our shop window displays are definitely working!   We've lost count of the number of kids that come to an immediate stop when they see the latest toy or collectable on display.  The sudden halt practically tripping their parents up in the process.  However, as the tourist season grows, we've also noticed a bit of confusion from visitors when they come into the shop and are met with a wall of DVD's (as part of our movie rental business).  

We've also built up a good supply of some great toy & collectable ranges, from LEGO to Moshi Monsters, Club Penguin to Gogo's - offering more of this kind of product range every week.  As we're so close to the business it's taken us a little while to step back and look at our shop from a customers point of view.  We've realised that our layout and flow around the shop hasn't really moved as we've made changes to the business...so it's been a busy time thinking about how we can improve things for everyone. 

As a result we've spent the last few weeks looking into shelving, working out how we can display things in an easier way, and getting on with some general housekeeping in store.  Last week we put our plan in to action and are pleased with the results. 

We've had some troubles during our re-fit, including suddenly realising at almost midnight that we've mis-calculated the number of shelves needed, resulting in a mad-dash to the suppliers the next day for more.  However, feedback on the changes has been really positive, in particular our customers loving how easy it is to see all we have to offer, and finding everything they want to hand, be it movies, games, toys, sweets or wine.  The best moment though has been seeing our youngest customers manage to find exactly the right toy without getting drenched outside in the good old Scottish Summer weather! 

So now that most of our changes are completed, for the moment anyway, now's a great time to come into store and see the products and services we have available.  If you're a bit too far away or want to see what we have without leaving your home we've created movie, wine & toy websites to help you...which don't need re-fitting thankfully!

LEGO - Worth the wait!

Our son was the one who asked if we could stock "Club Penguin Cards" and "Gogo's Crazy Bones" when we opened in 2010.  As parents who were fed up travelling to Stirling or Bridge of Allan everytime the kids wanted to spend their pocket money, we thought "Why not!". 

At that time we also requested an account with LEGO, thinking that mini-figures would be great for the shop.  They politely added us to their waiting list, explaining that it would take some time before someone contacted us.  Being new to the industry we didn't appreciate just quite how long the list was and the wait would be.  

By Christmas 2010 our toys & collectables ranges had really taken off, and whilst we still didn't have a LEGO account, we were determined to have a representative of their range in store.  As a result we found the LEGO electrical range we now stock as well as some alternative buildable character ranges.  

LEGO Keylight - £5.49

We visited Toy Fair London in January and were wowed on the LEGO stand.  Their range of toys & games show exactly why they have been named as "Toy of the Century" not once, but twice.  So, you can imagine our delight when they got in touch with us in May to begin discussions about a potential account.  We explained our business, and how parents & children in Dunblane were loving the branded toys we had to offer.  Unfortunately though they decided that for a variety of reasons the timing wasn't right to open an account for us.  

We were devastated.  In a last ditch attempt that would either see them run a mile from us, or agree to open the account, we sent them an impassioned e-mail.  In it we explained how loyal the community was to local independent retailers, how we believed that LEGO was a great brand not freely available in the area and how children continued to ask for it from their "favourite local shop".  In the next few weeks we forgot about it, and moved on to look at other brands when, out of the blue, we received a phone call from a Senior Director.  They told us that they loved our response and would be delighted to have us stocking their range. 

LEGO Games Harry Potter Hogwarts - £24.99

So here we are, a few weeks down the line and anticipating the imminent arrival of our first order.  We're aiming to have a good representation of their range, focusing on toys and games under £30 initially and including play themes such as Duplo, LEGO Harry Potter, LEGO Games, LEGO City to name a few.  We've also taken a leap of faith as to how popular it will be and pre-ordered amongst other things, some LEGO Advent Calendars (difficult to believe that we are planning Christmas orders).  

LEGO City Advent Calendar - £17.99

We are certain that people are going to love being able to get the LEGO range at The Hub, and are in the process of adding the new products to our website to allow people the chance to order online, or collect in store.  We also hope to have some exciting news in the next few weeks about a big promotion to be held soon.  So watch this space...it will be worth the wait!

Independent Choice

We've been reading about the decline of the British High Street in the newspapers for some time now. As a family who have a local business we feel that it's important that we put our money where our mouth is, so have been really focusing over the past few months on using the local independents we have around us and do our bit for the local economy.

I'm delighted to say the upshot is that we have met some fantastic local business people who are so passionate and knowledgeable about the products they sell. Don't get me wrong, the people who work in the supermarkets around the area are nice, but they can never have the enthusiasm for customer service that we've experienced at our butcher or grocer. Their knowledge centres not just on the products themselves, but also on you as a customer, getting to know your likes and dislikes and being able to recommend different things for you to try.

Another unexpected benefit has been a reduction in our household waste! As we are no longer seduced by the "buy 1 get 1 free" offers frequently seen in supermarkets, we are learning to buy just what we need for that day or week. This is giving us better tasting, fresher produce, saving us money and reducing the packaging & food waste we generate.

Sadly high streets throughout the UK are showing a decline in independent businesses as a result of growing competition from supermarkets, big high street brands and online shopping. However research by the New Economic Foundation found "that every £1 spent with a local supplier is worth £1.76 to the local economy, and only 36 pence if it is spent out of the area. That makes £1 spent locally worth almost 400 per cent more". So keeping it local can really make a difference to the local economy!

July is Independent Retailer Month, where people are encouraged to vote with their feet if they want to save their local high street and shop locally. Now this doesn't mean that we instantly stop using other big brand organisations, but just pause and think about each purchase we make from those big brands, and the difference it would make if we obtained it from a local business instead.

So this month we'll be continuing to use the local supermarket for some of our shopping, but we'll also be choosing to buy from the local butcher, grocer & newsagent that we are lucky enough to have in our town. So join us in celebrating all that is great about our local high street this month and making sure that these great businesses stay on our door-steps!