One of the best-known shops in Helensburgh town centre is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year -and has been given a facelift to celebrate.
The Scandinavian Shop has been trading on Sinclair Street since 1973, one of only a handful of shops to have been open in the town for so long.
It reopened today after a fortnight’s closure for renovation work inside and out, which will soon be complete with a new sign and awning, partly funded by a grant from Argyll and Bute Council’s CARS programme.
Owner Lucy Paterson said the premises had previously been a butcher’s shop and she hoped to draw on that history in the ‘Victorian’ new look.
“We’re using modern materials and colours to give it a bit of a contemporary edge,” she added.
“It is very much a traditional shopfront, it is much more balanced now.
“I loved the previous sign (below), it was a classic and had been there since 1973.
“We actually restored it when we first bought the business but it has definitely had its day – it was falling off, letting a lot of water in and it was impossible to replace, you couldn’t get anyone to make that any more.”
Lucy, who took over the shop from Ian Henderson 14 years ago, had previously been a book publisher without any retail experience but said she inherited a very loyal customer base.
“People come in and say they were in the shop as a child
“It’s very much part of Helensburgh I think, it has a community feel to it.
“Inheriting that customer base was really in my favour when I was learning about retail and people have supported us – that and the lovely, loyal staff.”
Since then she has developed the business’s online presence which now has customers as far afield as New Zealand, South Africa – and even sends Scandinavian goods to Norway.
There are one or two new brands in the new autumn range, but the shop will still be familiar for regular customers, with ever-popular greeting cards and jellycats as well as classic Scandinavian design.
“There’s one item that has been for sale in the Scandinavian Shop since we first opened, and it’s still a good seller, and that’s the Kosta Boda snowball ” said Lucy
“.It was first produced exactly 50 years ago, so we’re sharing our 50th anniversary – the original shop sold them and we’ve still got them on the shelves.
“There must be more people in Helensburgh with a piece of Kosta Boda glass than in any other small town in the UK!”
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