RETAIL INTERVIEW
MAPES OF MILLPORT Scott and Deborah Ferris were delighted to be able to fully reopen on the day of Mapes of Millport’s 75th anniversary and celebrated with a personalised cake
Mapes marks a
milestone
Mapes of Millport on the Isle of Cumbrae turned 75 on the very day that non-essential retail reopened in Scotland. Clare Turner talks to joint owners Scott and Deborah Ferris
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apes of Millport has been serving the island of Isle of Cumbrae since 1946. On 26 April, the independent retailer celebrated its 75th anniversary - and joint owners Scott and Deborah Ferris marked the milestone in style, because it coincided exactly with the date when non-essential shops in Scotland could reopen their doors after lockdown. The couple took over the shop in 2017, after it was sold to them by the Mapes family. They are passionate about Cumbrae, describing it as “our little gem”. Originally from Glasgow, the couple relocated four years ago, leaving careers in recruitment consultancy and insurance respectively to pursue their dream of embracing island life permanently. Scott says: “In 2016 we calculated that we’d spent 42 weekends of the year here. So when the shop came up for sale, we knew it well. I remember shopping here as a kid, with my nose pressed against the glass joke counter, looking at the stink bombs, dirty face soap and fart powder - and being amazed by the LEGO. I said to Deborah: “What about it?”. We chatted it through, agreed that it seemed a natural progression - and that was it!” The business specialises in toys and
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bikes, which are spread over a total display area of 1,200sq ft. “We’re essentially two shops of 600sq ft each with different entrances,” says Scott. “My side is ‘outdoor-based’: I rent and sell 400-plus bikes, along with skateboards, scooters, bike accessories, fishing and camping equipment, DIY items and custom clothing. Deborah deals with the toys side: it’s a traditional toy shop with an extensive range.” So how has trade been since reopening? “The bike side has always been open because bikes are ‘essential’ so people brought their bikes in to be serviced - but they couldn’t walk into the toy shop to pick an item, because we effectively have two front doors,” says Scott. “For toys, trading has been really positive. Many customers have said: ‘we’ve so missed you it’s brilliant to be back here’. So it’s been great, with lots of big ticket sales that we wouldn’t normally expect at this time of the year. “Of course, a lot of frustrated kids haven’t been
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For toys, trading has been really positive. Many customers have said: ‘we’ve so missed you - it’s brilliant to be back here
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out much, and a lot of parents have been dying to go on holiday, so they’re exceptionally happy to be here - and keen to make their children as happy as possible. But I think we’re rather unique, in as far as we’re a holiday destination.” He explains: “Cumbrae is just a short hop from the mainland and in previous years, the ferry has brought 5,000 people a day here. If you take into consideration Visit Scotland’s statistic that every tourist brings £64 to the community, that’s £320,000 per day. Last year Cumbrae welcomed 210,917 ferry visitors and the (pre-covid) 2019 figure totalled 319,410.” He says the island has 800 residents, of which children account for 120 (comprising 8 preschoolers, 52 primary schoolkids, and 60 secondary school students). But when tourists, day-trippers and second homeowners visit, the total number goes up dramatically to about 2,000 “and nearly everybody will visit the toy shop”. Deborah’s number one brand is LEGO. Mapes has been dealing with the company for 50-plus years and it accounts for 15-20% of the shop’s display area. Other key names include Bruder, Jumini, BigJigs Toys, John Adams, Peterkin,
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