It was in the summer of 1999 that Steven Bruce told his dad he would try his hand at running the family shoe shop.
But only for a year. And if he didn’t like it, he had his electrician apprenticeship to fall back on.
A lot has changed since then. Bricks and mortar retail has suffered blow after blow. Shoe shops have shut left, right and centre.
But Steven is still there behind the till.
More than 25 years after taking over, he greets me at the Market Place institution to tell me all about it.
I take my spot in the backroom of William Bruce and Steven and his wife Dale take me back to 1923 when it all began…
The pair reveal:
- What makes independent traders like William Bruce better than national chains
- How business has increased by 10-15% in the last year thanks to Aberdonian shoppers
- And what the future holds for the popular Inverurie shoe shop
How William Bruce has changed over the last 100 years
The small backroom is a nice change of scenery on the drizzly afternoon of my visit, as we squeeze in between hundreds of shoeboxes neatly piled from floor to ceiling.
It used to look very different a few generations ago, however.
Many moons ago, this was a bustling workshop where Steven’s cobbler great-grandfather would spend hours repairing shoes.
“It wasn’t really a shop back then,” Dale tells me as she points towards the spot where five workbenches would sit, festooned with tools and material, when William Bruce opened in 1923.
“People would usually get their shoes repaired – rather than buy new ones – so they used to do quite a lot of that.
“But then when Steven’s dad took over in the 80s, the repairs were in less demand so he changed the shopfront to have more displays for window shoppers.”
How Steven decided to swap wires for shoes to carry on family legacy
And then in 1999, it was time for Steven to carry on the legacy of his predecessors.
William Bruce had been in the family for three generations before him – but still, running the Market Place store wasn’t his first choice after leaving school.
“I actually started off as an apprentice electrician,” the 47-year-old dad chuckles.
“But it just wasn’t for me, so I thought I would give the shoe shop a try and see what it was like. That was in August 1999.”
He pauses and smiles: “And here we are 25 years later – I’m still at the front of the shop, speaking to customers every day.”
What is the secret to keeping business on the up after a century?
Dale also got involved in the business 15 years ago when their first child was born, and as they say, the rest is history.
William Bruce is now one of many independent traders in the town centre that have contributed to making Inverurie one of the most successful places in Scotland.
The 47-year-old mum of two thinks their long-lasting success is down to the personal touch they add to every customer’s experience in the store.
And having Steven’s well-known face at the tills, luring people in with a welcoming smile that has become the shop’s trademark, certainly helps too.
“People come in to see him specifically,” Dale laughs.
“We’ve been here a long time…We know our products, we know what we’re selling and how to do it and we’ve got a lot of loyal customers that keep coming back all the time.”
‘Independent traders care more – that’s what makes Inverurie special’
Earlier this week, town centre leaders lifted the lid on why they think Inverurie has grown to be so successful despite the challenges in recent years.
Inverurie Business Improvement District (Bid) Manager Derek Ritchie told The P&J how his work has helped the town become “Scotland’s busiest”.
Meanwhile, Laings spoke fondly of the community of strong independent businesses in the town centre that keep taking it from strength to strength.
More than half of the shops on the town’s high street are family-run, and Steven thinks this is what makes Inverurie better and more popular than other towns.
“Having so many local businesses certainly makes a difference,” he adds.
“It means more when this is your own business – you want it to succeed so you’d be there every day, you’re out cleaning your own windows, and taking a bit of pride in it.
“There’s a lot of multinationals who aren’t worried about that sort of thing. They’re just there for a wage or whatever.”
How Aberdeen’s loss has become William Bruce’s gain
This gives Inverurie more character and that’s exactly what sets the town apart from bigger cities like Aberdeen, Steven reckons.
While the Granite City is struggling to fill its high street, Inverurie town centre is bustling with traders – with newcomers fighting over the one and only empty unit left.
Do you think more shoppers are flocking to Aberdeenshire as they avoid Aberdeen city centre? Let us know in our comments section below
Steven has also noticed a change, with about 65% of his customers now coming from the city.
“We have always had loads of customers from Aberdeen,” he tells me.
“This used to be about 50%, but I would say the numbers have increased a good bit in the last year – perhaps by another 10-15%.
“And that’s good – business is increasing and we hope to keep it up.”
What does the future hold for William Bruce?
Looking ahead, Steven and Dale are optimistic that the town and William Bruce can continue to thrive.
They don’t know whether their two young children will one day decide to follow into their parent’s footsteps and carry on the century-old legacy of the shoe shop.
But they certainly hope so.
And as long as there are shoes to sell and customers to buy them, Steven and Dale will be there at the shop front – greeting each and everyone with that trademark smile.
Read more:
- Retail guru reveals secrets to making Inverurie ‘Scotland’s busiest town centre’
- Laings: Owners of Inverurie’s oldest business on helping Scotland’s ‘busiest town centre’ thrive
- Gordon House: £500k demolition plans for council HQ in Inverurie
- Burst stomach ulcer won’t stop Inverurie man behind north-east’s biggest fireworks firm
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