Part One · How a shop I never planned to open became something much more
When I started FINDRA almost 12 years ago, I had no idea I would end up in what we in the trade call ‘bricks and mortar’ retail.
My vision was to build a women's clothing brand and sell online through a direct-to-consumer e-commerce business. A physical shop was never really part of the plan.
But here we are, almost 12 years on, and for 10 of those years, a FINDRA retail shop has been part of the business.
And something else I certainly hadn't planned for was owning a café, which is now part of that very same brick-and-mortar space!
I don't even drink coffee!!!
So how did all of this come about? And what unexpected twist led me to become the proud owner of a shop and café on a small high street in the Scottish Borders?
From the Kitchen Table to the High Street
When I started FINDRA, I worked from my kitchen table. As the business grew, I converted part of my garage into a stockroom and office.
But as things evolved, we soon outgrew that space, so I moved into a small office just off the High Street and kept the garage as my stockroom.
I spent my days cycling back and forth between the office and garage, picking and packing online orders and posting them out to customers!
Inevitably, we outgrew that arrangement, and it became clear we needed somewhere bigger. Somewhere we could bring everything together under one roof — our office, design studio, stockroom and fulfilment operation.
The Building I Had Barely Noticed
A friend suggested I take a look at 83 High Street. I'd lived in Innerleithen for nine years and had barely noticed the building.
I can still clearly remember the first time we went to view it. Roddy came with me, and as we walked through the door, I immediately said, ‘Wow!’ At exactly the same moment, Roddy said, ‘Sh**!’
He knew instantly I was smitten, and another adventure was about to begin!!
From the outside, the building looked pretty miserable. The paintwork was dull and peeling, the windows were boarded up, and it looked pretty unappealing.
But inside, I was gobsmacked! It was like a little TARDIS, with high ceilings, stone walls, exposed brickwork and wonderful natural light.
I could immediately see its potential.
Opening a Shop Was Never the Plan
We took over the space in February 2017 and immediately set about refurbishing it and getting it ready to run the business from.
As I said at the start of this blog, I'd never considered having a physical shop, but the space at the front of the building, looking out onto the High Street, was so perfect for FINDRA that it was pretty difficult not to!
The exposed brick walls, the cosy log burner — it was made for FINDRA! And so began our first venture into retail.
With no budget for fixtures and fittings, I had to get creative and use what I could find. Upcycled and second-hand furniture, scaffolding poles and shelves all became part of the shop's interior.
And it worked! The look was unique but also very much in keeping with FINDRA — natural, a little bit gritty and very down to earth.
The rest of the building became our office and design studio, with our stockroom and fulfilment space through the back. It worked brilliantly.
And just like that, having never planned to open a shop, here we were, opening a shop!
But of course, that wasn't the end of the story. It was just the beginning! Since 2017, both the business and our High Street space have continued to evolve, taking us in directions I could never have imagined.
Then Everything Changed
By 2021, our online business had grown significantly, particularly during COVID, and we desperately needed more space to store our stock.
Having been forced to close the shop during lockdown, I have to admit I was very tempted not to reopen it!
The idea was to use the shop as office space, freeing up the rest of the building for stock and fulfilment. It made perfect sense from a practical point of view, but it would also mean closing our doors to the public and no longer having a physical shop on the High Street.
I toyed with this idea for a while. Running the business online only had simplified things, and I have to admit, I'd rather enjoyed it!
As an introvert, I'm always happy to get my head down and get on with things without too many interruptions!
BUT something didn't feel right.
And as I started to unravel my own thoughts and feelings, I realised that having a shop on the High Street meant much more to me than simply having a physical shop as part of our business model or another revenue stream.
Perhaps Retail Was Always in the Mix
In the early days of FINDRA, we exhibited at lots of different events, and although they were hard work, I always loved setting up our stand in a way that really reflected the brand. It was almost like creating a little shop wherever we went! We also did pop-up shops within other retail spaces, and they were always really successful.
So perhaps opening a shop wasn't quite as unexpected as I'd first thought!
But over time, it became clear that our space on the High Street was about much more than showcasing FINDRA and selling our products.
More Than Somewhere to Shop
Almost from the beginning, it became a bit of a hub. We hosted events, book launches, talks, and gatherings, and people started using the space for more than just shopping.
FINDRA Innerleithen became a place where people could meet, chat, share ideas, or simply pop in and feel welcome. It became part of the community, and I hadn't really anticipated that when we first opened the doors.
And what made it even more special was the response from our local community.
People genuinely loved the space. They appreciated what we'd done with the building and the fact that it was contributing something positive to the High Street. There was a real sense of pride in having somewhere like FINDRA in the town, and I think people felt that it was as much a part of their community as it was our business.
And that meant a lot to me.
Why Closing the Doors Didn’t Feel Right
I think I only realised how much all of this mattered to me when I started seriously considering closing the shop.
It wasn't because I thought FINDRA was somehow indispensable to the High Street! Of course, the business was important to me, and there had to be a commercially viable reason to keep the shop open. If it couldn't pay for itself, we realistically couldn't keep it open.
But I was beginning to understand that I felt responsible for keeping the space open to the public.
We had taken a neglected building and brought it back to life. We'd created a place people enjoyed visiting, one that brought people together and contributed something positive to the town.
And the thought of closing the doors and turning it back into a space no longer accessible to the public didn't sit comfortably with me.
I realised that, for me, having a shop on the High Street was about much more than simply having another part of the FINDRA business.
It was about being part of a community, contributing to it and hopefully helping to make our High Street a better place for the people who live, work and visit here.
And as it turned out, keeping the doors open was just the beginning of another unexpected chapter!
Join me next week for Part Two, when I'll share how FINDRA Innerleithen evolved from a working space with a little shop at the front into a shop, café and gallery, and how my family became part of the story too!
Sunday Inspiration
Favourite Book
The Bookshop. The Draper. The Candlestick Maker. A History of the High Street by Annie Gray
Want to know more about our High Streets and how they have survived and sometimes thrived over the ages? Here is a great read or listen, a fascinating insight into why high streets are so much more than just shops!
Favourite Quote
Favourite Song
This week's choice is a new release from the Kings of Leon - KOYSAR for no reason other than its beautiful song, and I just love it!
