Dare we say those two words which will either fill you with dread or joy, depending on your persuasion.
Christmas shopping.
It may still only be November, but what if there was an altogether new way of buying gifts for loved ones in the Granite City?
With the loss of big department stores such as Debenhams and John Lewis, we understand that you may wonder where on earth to buy gifts in the north-east.
At the same time, the pandemic has shown the importance of shopping local and supporting small business, amidst recent warnings that this may be the toughest festive season for Scottish retailers in a decade.
Founder of Second Home Cafe, Kirsty Cameron, knows this all too well, having created a fabulous hub within The Gym on Huntly Street.
But she didn’t stop there, and has now brought together dozens of local creators all under one roof, on nearby Gaelic Lane.
This is a department store alright, but not as you know it.
Welcome to DEPARTMNT, where an incredible 89 artists and designers (and counting) can display their collections with beautiful items spread over two floors.
The trendy premises will be open right up until December 23.
The initiative has been funded by Aberdeen City Council and Look Again Aberdeen, which supports the creative sector in the north-east.
We managed to get a word with Kirsty, and found out what DEPARTMNT is all about.
“Second Home Café + Studio actually used to be upstairs, and we had a retail space which we fully stocked with local artists and designers during the last Christmas period,” said Kirsty.
“It was amazing, it was really successful and great for all of the designers involved.
“But we lost that upstairs when we opted to move the café down to the ground floor in January.
“Then of course, John Lewis closed and so did Debenhams.
“There was always this idea in the back of my mind that we would open a little pop-up shop at Christmas with all these local designers.
“But when these big name stores closed, I thought ‘why not turn it into a pop-up department store?’
“And that’s how DEPARTMNT was born.”
Kirsty’s plans have been bubbling away since summer, when she first put in an application for funding.
“We are partially funded by Aberdeen City Council, and we’re also supported by the team at Look Again,” said Kirsty.
“There are 89 artists and designers involved – and counting.
“We’re getting more as we’re going along.
“We’ve sold so much from our first week being open that we needed top ups of all of the items in the shop.
“But this is what makes it interesting and fresh for people – we could have different things in store from one day to the next.
“It is a lot of work to fit into the space.
“But we’ve styled it so that artists can have varying ranges of what they’d like to have in the shop.
“It just depends on the size and scale of the work as well.”
A talented artist herself, Kirsty has held back and left the space to others to showcase their work.
As for the feedback so far?
It’s no surprise that DEPARTMNT is exactly what Aberdeen has been missing.
“It’s been magic,” she said.
“Because this idea has been rattling around in my brain for so long, to see it become a reality and have people in and enjoying the space so much is just amazing.
“I’m totally lost for words with the reaction.
“Everyone really loves the shop and I’m really grateful for everyone that stops by.
“Socials have also been a big help; a simple share or actually telling someone that this space is here, all of it really helps.
“It’s nice to have a good buzz about it.”
But what’s actually on offer?
Kirsty believes DEPARTMNT covers all bases, with something on offer for everyone.
“From Christmas gifts to stationery, home, outdoorsy and spiritual gift ideas, there’s lots of choice,” she said.
“It’s a variety of options, from small to larger gifts in varying prices as well.”
And thanks to the funding in place, each creator gets to keep 100% of the profits.
“Because of the funding that we received from Aberdeen City Council, it paid for all of the renovations to the unit,” said Kirsty.
“It also pays for my staff’s time over the next six weeks, which means that there’s no need for us to be taking any commission from the artists involved.
“They just keep what they make – there’s no need for me to take anything from them.”
Kirsty hopes that DEPARTMNT can inspire retailers to stock more local artists.
She added: “I’d really like to see nothing left in the store by December 23, I want it to be empty,” she said.
“Going forward, I hope that DEPARTMNT can encourage retailers both big and small to consider local artists and suppliers within their stores.
“I’m not saying there has to be a huge shop local revolution, even though I would love that.
“But every little bit helps.
“If one store might decide to take on a local supplier after hearing about DEPARTMNT, then that’s a win.”
DEPARTMNT can be found at 8A Gaelic Lane in Aberdeen.
Give them a follow on Instagram via @departmntaberdeen or visit the website.
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