HOW DID TULENI START OUT?
It was just after the birth of my son, he was a year old. I just wanted to do something a bit different, so the shop started off in Whitehills, in May 1991. We moved the shop here, to Banff, over 10 years ago, in January 2006.
WHERE DID YOU GET THE IDEA FOR A CLOTHING SHOP FROM?
It was just something I fancied trying. We started off small with
childrenswear and ladieswear and a mix of men’s as well. I like
to try to please people and to try and guess what they would like to wear.
WHY DID YOU MOVE THE SHOP 10 YEARS AGO?
We wanted to be somewhere a bit more central. In Banff you are
on the main route for the buses and for people.
WHY DO YOU THINK THE SHOP HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL?
Probably because we are a bit different from the high street shops. We sell just six of something or one of each size. We aren’t doing dozens and dozens of the same thing.
We are more individual and have different styles. Some of it is Danish and German and some is British. It’s good quality and we are aiming for the middle of the market rather than the bottom or the top. Maybe another wee shop might have the same, but not the high street ones.
HOW DO YOU CHOOSE YOUR STOCK?
With great difficulty sometimes. Really just going by the seasons and colours and shapes and styles. Sometimes it really is just your instinct – you just know. Thinking of your customers and you know what they would like as well.
WHY DO YOU PREFER TO STOCK MAINLY LADIES CLOTHES?
It just seemed to work better with the size of the shop. I went into shoes last year and have handbags and jewellery too.
I had menswear for a while, but it seemed to slow down. I really needed space for the girls. They tend to spend more money and they really like buying things. It is easier just to concentrate everything on ladies. Then you can have nightwear, underwear, and we have got everything for ladies
really.
ARE HIGH STREET LABELS TOUGH COMPETITION?
We have a different quality and a personal service. You’re helping each other out, like helping a lady out with her wedding dress. It is personal care, one to one.
For more information, visit www.tulenibanff.co.uk
