Something New… Aberdeen businessman spending £20,000 turning old wedding shop into electronics store

Tiph Gibson admits to some nerves as he ploughed £20,000 into renovating his new hometown shop.

Tiph, short for Christopher, is from Bridge of Don and is just days away from opening a new unit on Aberdeen’s George Street.

The 29-year-old entrepreneur is the sole director of Home Systems Scotland – an entertainment and security specialist.

He started the company five years ago, and has since expanded by offering plumbing and electrician services from its base in Ellon.

But despite his success, which he tells us was partly spurred by the pandemic, Tiph hasn’t made the move into retail lightly.

It comes at a time of unprecedented gloom for Aberdeen city centre, and “to let” signs litter the length of George Street…

So why make the move into a bricks and mortar shop?

The young businessman has taken over the former Aberdeen Wedding Shop, following its relocation after about 10 years at 669a George Street.

Tiph believes that, for some products, shoppers still need a physical experience.

And dealing in plush “media walls”, the space on the outskirts of the city centre will allow him to create a showroom designed to leave customers agog.

This is an example of the sort of media walls the firm works on: 

He said: “We do a lot as a business, but the big thing for us is media walls.

“In a few months’ time, I’ll have a room in the back turned into a showroom.

“We have tried online retail and, yes, people can buy the stuff but they can’t see it.

“A lot of people find it hard to picture what a media wall might look like in their home, seeing it in the flesh should make a real difference.”

Tiph checked out some other premises in the area before finding the “perfect location” with the size he needs at the former wedding shop.

Home Systems Scotland went from mum’s spare room to Aberdeen shop

Tiph had been working in the industry since leaving school when, after eight years, he decided it was “now or never” and launched his own firm in 2017.

It was a humble effort, operated from his mum’s spare bedroom… But it took off.

He soon moved into the HQ at Ellon’s Castle Street and by 2020 he started offering plumbing and electrician services too.

Home Systems Scotland‘s George Street shop is already stocked with all manner of gizmos ahead of the launch on Saturday, December 3.

It comes just weeks after a crunch summit heard that Aberdeen’s nearby Union Street continues to stagnate, with a quarter of shops lying empty.

And as well as major attempts to revive the Granite Mile, the council is working on a “mini masterplan” to regenerate George Street.