8 minute read
HOW’S YOUR WEEK BEEN...
RETAILER PROFILE: SOPHIE LEJEUNE, SOCIETY ZERO, GLASGOW
SOPHIE LEJEUNE
SOPHIE LEJEUNE OPENED SCOTLAND’S NEWEST ZERO WASTE STORE JUST OVER A WEEKAGO ON QUEEN MARGARET DRIVE IN THE WEST END OF GLASGOW, BECOMING A RETAILERFOR THE FIRST TIME INTO THE BARGAIN.
HOW’S YOUR WEEK BEEN SOPHIE?
Well, we opened for the first time on the 8th of August and it’s my first time running a store so it’s been a mix of joy, panic, relief, exhaustion and exhilaration. I’m delighted though because we’ve been swamped with customers since we first opened the doors.
WHAT’S THE IDEA BEHIND THE STORE?
It’s called Society Zero and we are a zero waste store that’s trying to play an active and positive role in the local community that we serve. We’re set up as a CIC (Community Interest Company) which means that we are bound by a number of principles and commitments that basically involve us investing in and working proactively with the local community. For instance, if we make a profit – which I hope we do! – we have to reinvest part of that in the community.
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THIS SITE?
An offer for a site on Great Western Road in Glasgow fell through and we then found this site. I’m so glad it worked out this way because this site is so much better for us in so many ways. The area has a really strong sense of community and I can see already that many local people understand what we’re trying to do and are getting behind us.
SO YOU WERE BUSY FROM DAY ONE?
We got the keys a couple of months ago and the first thing we did was put big signs in the window letting the local community know that the store was coming. I’m quite into effective marketing so we worked hard on social media to build some interest in the store even before it was open and, thankfully, it worked because we’ve been really busy since day one.
WHAT WAS THE SITE BEFORE?
It had been a bookmakers then it became a print shop, so we had to basically gut and then fully refit it. We spent about £45,000 in total getting it ready but I was convinced that we had to make it look fantastic on day one if we were to make the right impression and grow our customer base and generate repeat business.
ARE THERE ANY SPECIFIC CHALLENGES TO FITTING OUT A ZERO WASTE SHOP?
Obviously, we were trying to be as environmentally conscious as possible so, for instance, the main counter was made from ‘upcycled’ wooden frames and boxes and the counter top is made of beautiful tree slices which were diseased. That meant they couldn’t be used as normal but we were able to treat them and then turn them into a lovely counter top. We got the baskets for the store from eBay, from a store that had closed down under coronavirus, and we got the boxes for our fresh fruit and veg on a bartering site. I think we swapped a few loaves for them so it was a decent swap! Not everything is second hand or upcycled, though. We had to buy the gravity dispensers brand new but they are made from recycled plastic and we also had to buy a couple of very expensive weighing machines and the software they require.
HOW EXPENSIVE?
£5,000 for two machines. But they work really well and we rely on them, because they’re getting used constantly and we need to be able to trust them.
WHAT LOOK WERE YOU GOING FOR IN TERMS OF DESIGN ?
The design ethos is pretty much just what I like to see when I go to a shop. I like plenty of open space, no clutter, warm and comfortable but not too heavily stylised or over-designed. Just a place that feels nice to be in and provides an enjoyable, comfortable experience for our shoppers. We had to totally remodel the shop and remove two small rooms to create a bigger sales floor – it’s now 1,000sq ft – and a decent sized stockroom as most often what we order arrives in bulk. The store is quite modern but with some traditional twists and I think it’s in line with our beliefs and with the range that we sell.
HOW DID YOU DECIDE ON THAT RANGE?
I’ve had the Society Zero business since October 2018 and we had been focusing on online sales of zero waste, ethical non-food products like homecare and beauty, so I was quite close to this market. Then we started visiting some farmer’s markets and so on and started getting into food – so I had a decent idea of what we should be selling on day one. We also got advice from some suppliers like Greencity Wholefoods, our main supplier, as well as companies like Suma, Infinity Foods and Wigan Wholefoods. It was actually reasonably straightforward to do. Having said that, when the deliveries started arriving before we opened, you couldn’t move in here for bags. Most of the product comes in 25kg bags so shifting them into the store room and out onto the shelves and into the dispensers was a fair work out!
YOU DO BOTH FOOD AND NON- FOOD?
Yes, we have a huge range of pasta, porridge, grains, nuts, fried fruits and so on as well as confectionery, fresh fruit and veg, oils, vinegars and so on but we also stock a lot of non-food lines like laundry liquid, soap, beauty products and other home care lines. A bit of everything. I always wanted to be as accessible as possible and to stock something for everyone. That’s also why we have chosen not to stock exclusively organic products. It’s a complicated topic, but we wanted to offer as wide a range as possible so that we could appeal to as many people as possible.
WHAT IS YOUR APPROACH ON PRICING?
I was very aware that people often assume that zero waste shops are expensive but that’s not necessarily the case. We’ve chosen to work off a slightly reduced margin compared to other zero waste stores because we want the products to be affordable to everyone. That was another complicated decision but we feel that it’s important that shoppers see us as an affordable store they can visit often.
WHAT SORTS OF CUSTOMERS ARE YOU SEEING?
We’re seeing all sorts. Literally. Old, young, students, men, women, affluent, working class. You name it, I’ve seen them in the store. I think the days where only certain ‘types’ used shops like this are drawing to a close. With so many businesses, colleges, schools and so on adopting much better eco practices, people are getting used to thinking about these things and want to bring them into their personal lives. The media coverage of plastic pollution and other environmental issues is also helping people realise the impact we’re having on the planet. Stores like this mean that people can feel a bit of ownership by taking some control of their own personal story by being more careful and mindful about where they choose to spend their money.
PLANS FOR THE FUTURE?
I’m really happy with the store but it was always be a work in progress. As we learn what customers like and don’t like we’ll keep tweaking the range. We purposefully left a few gravity dispensers empty and left notes for customers asking them to suggest anything they’d like to see that we don’t stock. We’re also looking at some fridges and we will also be adding Click & Collect very soon. We’ve already got the software to facilitate it, so we just need to test it and then we’ll be adding that service too.
WHAT HAVE YOU FOUND CHALLENGING IN YOUR FIRST WEEK AS A RETAILER?
Cleaning! The cleaning regime is pretty much non-stop. I’m a bit of a stickler for cleanliness at the best of times but with the pandemic we’re having to be even more careful. We have a weekly deep clean of the entire store then a full scale clean every morning before opening and every day after closing, even on Monday and Tuesday when the store is closed. Then in-between we have to clean all surfaces and touch points throughout the day, all day long.
YOU CLOSE MONDAYS AND TUESDAYS?
For the time being, yes. I need a day for admin and a day for deep cleaning but the plan is to move to seven day opening. We’re also working on staffing. We have four paid staff and three volunteers, just local people who understand what we’re trying to do and want to be part of it. It’s a nice vibe – and nobody is allowed to call me ‘boss’!
HAS COVID-19 POTENTIALLY HELPED THE BUSINESS?
I think it’s certainly helped people focus on what’s important like friends, family and community and on wider environmental issues – so I think it could benefit us. The thing for me is ethics, though. That’s what’s driving the majority of our footfall. Local, community businesses have been there for everyone over the last few months and I think more and more people now realise how important that infrastructure is, how important it is to have independent businesses at the heart of their communities.
