I remember visits to George Donald’s Justrite store in Peterhead during hot summer holidays as I was being kitted out for going back to school.
The shelves were stacked up with shoeboxes towering well above my head, and hundreds of colourful football kits were hanging neatly on the walls.
Like any born-and-bred Peterhead loon, I was introduced to the department store institution – known by locals as Doddies – at a very early age.
It has been a one-stop shop for generations of Blue Tooners, and the go-to for all sorts of items – from the living room carpet to the children’s outfits.
In an age where so many department stores are shutting their doors and moving online, Donald’s has stood the test of time for almost a century.
But how has the Donald family managed to keep it thriving for so long, I wonder…
We meet owner George Donald, third generation of the Donald family in the business, who reveals:
- How Donald’s transformed from a wholesale textile firm to a Peterhead stalwart
- His views on Aberdeen after trying his luck on Union Street – and why he would pick Peterhead over the big city any day
- And what is the key to keeping a business thriving for nearly a century – as department stores across the country are dying a slow death
A century on – and still going strong
The Donald family has been a mainstay at the heart of Peterhead for decades.
They started out as a wholesale textile firm in the 1930s, and moved to their St Andrews Street location in the 1960s, where they have been ever since.
Soon after, they opened Justrite on Queen Street, becoming the place to go for mens and sportswear in the town.
It was another warm summer day when I stepped into the shop, a good few years on from my childhood visits, to chat to George this week.
Standing in the middle of Justrite’s stockroom, with boxes stacked all the way to the ceiling, he tells me how his father got him involved in the family business.
“As a schoolboy, I would have been helping out after school,” he begins.
“I’m now 66-years-old so I’ve been involved in the business for more than 50 years.
“My grandfather originally started George Donald Warehouseman as a wholesale company, trading in textiles and things of that time.
“It then gradually changed its format to the variety of things that we’re now involved in, which covers a lot…”
‘Family legacy makes Donald’s what it is’
The business has now entered its fourth generation of Donald’s in Peterhead, with George’s son, Steven, and daughter, Vikki, both present on the shop floor.
George thinks the tradition of passing on the craft of the trade to their young ones plays a key role in Donald’s century-long tenure serving the Blue Toon.
Every member of the Donald family is heavily involved with the businesses, devoting hour after hour to each of their stores to make it the best it could be.
And their hard work is paying off, George says, having earned a solid base of loyal customers.
“I don’t know if there is just one key to success, we’ve maybe been lucky as a business that we’ve had family succession,” he explains.
“We have always had a desire to move with the new trends or get involved with the new products coming to the market.
“As owners of the business, we have all been prepared to be here a lot, which is maybe part of that too.
“And we have been very, very fortunate that we have had a lot of nice people come and help us, who have often stayed a long time.”
‘Aberdeen was not the place for us’
With nearly 100 years of running a business in Peterhead, the Donald family has witnessed all of the changes the town has been through from a first-row seat.
And still, George says there is no other place he would rather trade in.
Earlier this week, high street newcomer Andy Stott who runs the Cask and Quay whisky shop said Peterhead has the potential to be great day-out destination.
And George nods in agreement when I pass this on, adding that Peterhead still very much “holding its own”.
He has plenty of experience to back his statement.
George recalls how they tried their hand at breaking into the Granite City in 1992, opening a Justrite store next door to the current Justice Mill on Union Street.
But after nine years, the family decided it wasn’t meant to be and dropped their plans.
“It was a massive change for us from trading in Peterhead,” George admits.
“There are many differences – the shopping pattern in city centres varies completely from that of a town, where you’re dealing with a much more localised type of customer.
“We tried our luck there, but it just didn’t work. It wasn’t the thing for us.”
‘Peterhead is still holding its own’
George recognises both Aberdeen and Peterhead have gone through many changes in the last decade, and that has altered the way businesses operate.
The landscape for department stores across the country has been particularly challenging, with staple brands like Debenhams and John Lewis closing a number of sites in recent years.
Both retailers shut their flagship stores in the Granite City in 2021.
And George is conscious of that.
However, he thinks that the key to making it through is to always be ready to adapt to the ever-changing trends and not get discouraged by the occasional drop in customers.
“Local people would perhaps have a vision of how Peterhead was when it was a much busier place,” he explains.
“But now the pattern of employment has changed, you don’t quite have the footfall on an everyday basis that maybe once existed.
“However, I think we’re quite fortunate that most of the units have something in it.
“You go to some other places and it’s not like that, so Peterhead is maybe holding its own in that regard.”
‘Family and longevity’ are most important to Donald’s boss
We had been talking for about 30 minutes by this point, and I’m cautious that I need to let George get back to the increasingly busy store.
As we wrap it up, he stresses the two most important aspects of Donald’s – “family and longevity”.
“We’ve had a long time here and it’s something we’ve been really pleased with,” he smiles as he glances over the packed shelves.
“I already have my succession, my son and daughter are here, and I hope they can enjoy it as much as I have.
“But we can’t take it for granted…Hard work is only a part of it, you need a good bit of fortune as well.”
This week, we put the buzz of Peterhead Scottish Week, as well as local businesses helping the town thrive, in the spotlight. Read more:
- Symposium boss: ‘How I battled through personal trauma and stroke to keep Peterhead cafe dream alive’
- ‘Why I left oil and gas job to run new Peterhead whisky shop – and put town on the malts map!’
- ‘It’s the best thing I’ve ever done’: Fox and Feather owner says ‘huge gamble’ on Peterhead town centre boutique paid off
- From pop stars to bonnie babies – all you need to know about Peterhead Scottish Week
- In pictures: Peterhead Scottish Week kicks off as colourful parade transforms town into bustling carnival
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