Nearly 60 years ago customer demand changed the course of an Inverness family business.
The Health Shop has built up a loyal following over those six decades.
But it has also attracted a new generation of shoppers by responding to growing awareness of healthy eating and eco-friendly products.
Health Shop founder spotted an opportunity
Allan Sellar, who was to become Provost of Inverness, opened the store in 1966.
Originally he had a grocer’s shop, but an increasing number of people began asking for healthy foods like dried fruits and whole foods.
“Customers were going to Glasgow and Edinburgh to get these things. So he saw an opportunity to sell wholefoods in the Highlands”, said Linda Sellar, who took over the shop with husband Martin, Allan’s son, in 1984.
Martin had worked in the business from a young age, packing bags in the back shop, and is still involved in the day-to-day running.
Originally in Union Street, in the shop now occupied by Harry Gow’s bakers, the Health Shop moved in the late 1970s to its present location in Baron Taylor’s Street.
At the time it was a busy thoroughfare with lots of independent shops and close to the major and now departed outlets of Woolworths and Arnotts.
Constant renewal of shop customers
Linda says the business has adapted over the years to introduce vegan, gluten-free and organic products.
Different kinds of tofu, healthy yoghurts, dairy-free spreads and cheeses and vegetarian and other meat-free foods also fill the shelves, alongside eco-friendly ski care products.
“We also stock local products such as honey, eggs, soaps and candles.
“And there are lots of eco products and refills available for most household needs.
“As Inverness expands, we do see a constant renewal of customers as well as some loyal customers that have been with us from the start.
“We now see more young people with the rise of veganism. There are also a lot of customers with international backgrounds due to the shop selling specific, hard-to-source products.
“We constantly keep our ear to the ground to make sure we stock the latest health products on the market, especially those that people can’t get anywhere else.”
The Health Shop’s expanding stock and customer base, along with its customer service, has brought it industry acclaim.
It won the Better Retailing Secret Shopper Award in 2014 and last year it was runner-up in the Independent Retailer of the Year category in the Inverness City Centre Business Awards.
Supermarkets and online shopping provide a challenge
The business has always maintained a staff of around six or seven, including Linda’s sister and her and Martin’s son and daughter.
The challenges facing the Health Shop are similar to other smaller businesses in the city centre.
“We are up against the rise of online shopping and the power and lure of supermarkets, especially out of town outlets”, says Linda.
What could help similar ventures survive and thrive in the city centre?
“I’d like to see things made easier for small businesses to start up, especially those that cater for local needs rather than just shops for tourists.
“It would also be good to increase the street cleaning budget and invest in schemes to make the city centre look and feel more attractive.”
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