Edinburgh based retailer Time & Tide, is bucking the current negative trend in high street retailing by opening their seventh high street retail outlet.
The company launched in 2009 and now boasts stores in North Berwick, Peebles, Edinburgh and Glasgow, as well as their site online.
[adbutler zone_id=’297765′]
Most recently, Time & Tide opened their St George’s Cross shop, in Glasgow’s main furniture and furnishings district, in November 2017. The seventh store is three times larger than any of their others, designed to satisfy the increasing demand for unique and antique-style furniture.
During 2017, the Scottish high streets faced their biggest challenges to date. In one year, more than 290 stores closed their doors for the final time. While 142 stores opened in the country, the number was not enough to offset the growing concern for trading in Scotland.
Jasmyn Hunter, E-commerce and Marketing Manager for Time & Tide, said: “We saw a great space available, which is now the site of our St Georges Place store, which we felt would allow us not only to display our interior product, but to create an inspiring interior setting with the drama to justify the building and location. We already have a large following and loyal customer base in the West End of Glasgow due to our Byres Road site and, as such, the new venture allowed us to capitalise and build on these existing relationships.”
While a report from Local Data Company (LDC) found that Scotland recorded the highest number of unoccupied retail units in the UK – an increase for the first time in five years – Time & Tide represent the growing number of businesses investing in the high street.
Established in North Berwick, the business began small, selling a selection of seaside interior accessories and colourful shells with the primary aim of capitalising on the coastal lifestyle trend. As popularity grew, so too did the opportunity for expansion. As it stands, Time & Tide currently trades its relaxed living stores throughout Central Scotland from seven store locations.
The rise and fall of the high street has long been reported, but it is certainly not dead. Behind the negative headlines are the opportunities for structural changes, something Time & Tide has embraced in their most recent store. The latest opening has been styled to create an experience for the shopper, offering customers a relaxed atmosphere in which to shop. Similarly, consumers still love to shop.
Jasmyn continued “We still believe that, particularly on interior product, plenty of people still want to see, experience and be inspired by a physical store location where they can interact with product and person. However, it would be incorrect to assume that this is the only means to trade. The real war on the high street is finding the balance of bricks and clicks and being proactive and open to the changing environment. This, for us, means servicing all of our customers in the location which is most convenient for them – be it in one of our beautiful stores or the comfort of their home.”
[yikes-mailchimp form=”2″ title=”1″ description=”1″]
