While non-essential shops in Scotland do not have a re-opening date yet, The Scullery in Broughty Ferry, near Dundee has started to deliver customer orders following interest in its Facebook posts. Owner Kenny Mitchell is “encouraged that many people want to shop locally.”
Kenny took over the town’s homewares store last October, revamped and renamed it The Scullery, focusing on kitchenware and gifts. During lockdown he has been regularly posting on social media, focusing on activities such as cheese making, barbecues and home baking. The store has also featured Scottish designers and its own Scullery Maid textiles in its posts, and is promoting a gift voucher initiative, adding 20% extra to its vouchers bought in lockdown in advance of the shop’s reopening.
“We’ve been encouraging customers to post feedback and share photos,” says Kenny. “Over the past three weeks we’ve started to take orders via Messenger resulting from our posts and delivering to 60 customers in the local area.” The local traders’ association is also providing mutual support for members, sharing social media posts.
The Scullery’s lockdown sellers include baking tins, Mason Cash coloured mixing bowls (from The Rayware Group) and Russell Hobbs hand mixers from EPE.
Kenny is “reasonably optimistic” for post lockdown trade, and hopeful that customers will support the shop when it reopens. “Some people have got used to buying things on Amazon and eBay but I’m encouraged that many people want to shop locally,” he acknowledges. The town has a large elderly population that “are not affected by furloughing, have a bit more money to spend, and like to see and feel quality.”
The possibility of local tourism (as people cannot go further afield) may also benefit the shop, as well as its location “in the heart of golf country,” notes Kenny.
Top: Kenny and Nicola Mitchell outside The Scullery, Broughty Ferry.
