A Tayside business is expanding with a second outlet opening at a box park in Chapelton new town.
Greengrocer Clementine of Broughty Ferry is heading north as it opens a new branch in the town of Chapelton of Elsick.
The Chapelton Box Park initiative, based at the town’s Burgess Park, will see new businesses and start-ups launching there in the next couple of months.
Housed in shipping containers, the initiative will give the enterprises the opportunity to grow while providing the chance for the community to shop locally.
Clementine owner Cheryle Sexton is thrilled to be joining the new business community at Chapelton.
“In terms of this shop, we have had a busy time over the last year or so with building the shop and building the business. We have been on the lookout for a second shop and one of the ladies who works here saw that the developers at Chapelton were looking to open a box park scenario to attract new businesses to the area,” said the 36-year-old.
“Up until this point we have signed up to open there. The building work started last week, the boxes were put in situ on Thursday morning, so I did a site visit and had a look around.
“There are eight units altogether. Clementine is taking two of them and there are other local businesses taking the other units.”
Fresh produce
Popular in Broughty Ferry for their fresh produce and goods from local artisan producers, customers in Chapelton will be able to enjoy much of the same.
“We are looking to offer primarily our fresh fruit and veg and build on that offering with our kind of deli-style products, fruit and veg box deliveries, our soup bags that kind of thing. It will be something that is new to the area,” added Cheryle who will also be creating jobs.
“It will involve taking on a new team up there. I will be based up there for the first few weeks to get things up and running and get a feel for the place, find out what our new customer base wants to see within the shop, as it might be a wee bit different to what we are doing here.
“Clementine is established in the Ferry and we want to make sure we are getting it right for the residents up there who will hopefully be using it.”
New customers
Taking over the Broughty Ferry shop in 2019, Cheryle was only a few months into things when the coronavirus pandemic began.
But rather than being downhearted by the problems associated with Covid-19, the team at Clementine took the opportunity to win new customers, many of whom have remained loyal.
Cheryle continued: “It wasn’t something that anyone foresaw and I certainly didn’t. In lots of ways, I think the scenario during the first lockdown helped the shop.
“I don’t think it’s any secret that when I took over the business was in a bad way and we were getting it on its feet then we started to see panic buying in February.
“We quickly recognised there was a situation where we needed to start getting food out to people and that was what we did.
“We got our heads down and worked really hard. What has happened is a lot of customers who maybe didn’t use the shop before have stood by us.
“They have found that our produce is fresher than what you might find in the supermarket and we have managed to retain a lot of customers who came to us when they couldn’t get a supermarket slot for delivery.”
Exciting times
And now it is a whole new chapter for Clementine with Cheryle ready for the challenge.
“I’m really excited,” she added. “I’m trying not to think too much about it as you can you get a little scared about things.
“I have never run a business that is outwith of where I operate so that is going to be an adjustment for me. The feedback on the new Chapelton shop has been great so far and a lot of people can’t wait for us to be open which is great.”