Over more than six decades S&D Harper has operated in a village and Elgin town centre before finding its perfect home out-of-town.
The family-owned caravan sales, bottled gas and self-storage firm settled on Edgar Road in the 1980s, before almost everyone else moved in.
Back then the area was dominated by a huge sawmill that stretched from where Matalan is today over to what became Asda.
Other firms were there too though: Allarburn processed and packaged their milk next door and there were firms in the units that are now Screwfix and Toolstation at the time.
The years of retail parks, free parking and national High Street brands moving in were still a long way off though.
The Press and Journal stopped by S&D Harper to speak to directors Stuart and Donna Harper, who run the business with Stuart’s brother Dougie and his wife Aileen, about how he business has evolved;
- Including, why an out-of-town site is critical for them.
- How the business has diversified to find growing markets.
- Why Edgar Road has been the perfect home for S&D Harper in Elgin.
- And what could push the already-busy street over the edge with more congestion.
From Hopeman to Elgin and Edgar Road
S&D Harper began its life in Hopeman in the 1960s under the stewardship of Syd and Dorothy Harper, before it passed to their children.
In the early 1970s the couple seized an opportunity to expand the business and change it forever.
Russell’s ironmongers, which were based in what was most recently the Junners buildings on South Street, were closing down and Syd wanted to take over their mantle selling Calor gas in Moray.
Stuart Harper said: “They said yes straight away, the only condition was they wanted us to have a shop in Elgin.
“So later that day my dad went out and rented a shop in Elgin on South College Street and they later bought a shop where Yeadon’s bookshop is.”
Within a decade though the couple had outgrown their town centre location and were looking for new opportunities.
In 1980 they moved to their current custom-built home and immediately set about using all the space they could now enjoy.
Mr Haper added: “Initially we moved here to give space for the gas storage but we got into the caravan sales to make use of the ground that was here.
“Eventually we ran out of space for the gas storage, you need safety distances and the caravans were encroaching, so we bought the yard at Ashgrove.”
Boom in caravan sales helps S&D Harper expand
Caravan sales were at their highest in Elgin during the 1980s and 1990s, before the rise of package holidays abroad.
Back then, tourers were basic, catering to a wider range of customers.
Today, Mr Harper says S&D Harper’s customers in Elgin are drawn to the higher end of the market with their most expensive caravan on sale for about £50,000.
He said: “From a business point of view, we’re not stupid, I’m not looking to sell nationwide. I want local customers we can look after.
“If something goes wrong, we’re here to fix it. If you sell to the other end of the country, loyalty becomes harder.
“For us, the higher end stuff sells better than the lower end. Caravans can go for over £50,000 now and people certainly buy them.”
Growing storage market in Elgin
Caravan sales have driven S&D Harper for most of its lifetime. About a decade ago though the firm started branching out with self-storage, a market that continues to grow for them today.
Previously the firm would rent out space at its Ashgrove yard in Elgin to third parties but then made the decision to convert it into its own container storage business.
The company has since added to it with a third site at the Elgin Business Park at Barmuckity, which is run under the name Elgin Storage.
Mrs Harper said: “I would say 80% to 90% of our customers are private individuals, people relocating to the area, moving house, people who need items stored for a short period.
“There’s also some business customers, people who don’t need their own premises but just need a place to store items, like workmen.
“There are also companies doing work in the area for short periods of time that don’t want to commit to premises.”
Mr Harper added: “It’s been a growth market for us, it’s not slowed down for us yet.
“I’m sure it maybe has in bigger places where there is more competition but it is still growing in Elgin.”
Why Edgar Road is essential for S&D Harper
The space S&D Harper uses surrounding its Edgar Road store means it would be impossible for the firm to operate in Elgin town centre.
Criticism has been labelled at the retail parks in the area for driving away trade from the High Street.
Mr Harper admits S&D Harper has probably benefitted from the extra footfall brought by the arrival of the retailers.
However, he believes the out-of-town location remains essential for his individual business.
Mr Harper said: “I’ll be honest, we couldn’t be anywhere else. Obviously the bulk of our stuff, although we have the shop which is retail, is outside.
“So, the High Street doesn’t work for us. It just wouldn’t work with deliveries and storage.”
Mrs Harper added: “There’s obviously a bit of publicity going against Edgar Road in terms of the town centre but in a way I just don’t think that’s relevant.
“I think you can have both places. Edgar Road is designed for what it’s meant to be.
“But I think you can still have that vibrant town centre with it as well.”
Worries Edgar Road traffic could reach tipping point
In recent years retail parks on Edgar Road have neared capacity with PureGym, Iceland’s Food Warehouse and Mountain Warehouse among the most recent arrivals.
It has pushed the traffic volume up on the street with Mr Harper describing the current situation as “not great”.
Aldi have already signalled their intention to pursue a new store in Elgin in the retail park opposite S&D Harper.
And while having no issue with the supermarket chain specifically, Mr Harper believes the road is already at capacity.
He said: “I have nothing against Aldi but, for me, that’s going to have a negative impact because the traffic situation is not great here at the best of times.
“If you have Aldi across the road there, it’s going to be torture turning out of that car park.
“It’s going to have massive footfall, in addition to Home Bargains and Iceland. There are other businesses like Dreams beds, which don’t have as much footfall.
“When you put food stores in it creates problems. In hindsight, the roads aren’t suitable for everything we could potentially have there.”
Read more from Elgin
- Traffic concerns, bus link worries, car park calculations: The big questions about Aldi’s new Elgin supermarket answered
- Edgar Road congestion, rat run worries and more future housing sites: What you need to know about Elgin’s Bilbohall development
- Business expert on why ambitious Elgin town centre regeneration projects are template for rest of Scotland to follow
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