Hot Scot Shop - Local hero
Local hero
by Scott Aitken
A
bid to help independent businesses weather the storm of Covid-19 has sparked the launch of an international initiative predicted to generate £1million for local economies by the end of the year. A few weeks ago everything changed overnight for cafes, restaurants, boutiques, artisans, creators and small retailers. Social distancing measures forced them to close their doors indefinitely and the future became somewhat uncertain. Upset by the impact the pandemic was having on
p156
commerce in his home city of Edinburgh entrepreneur Robbie Allen decided to try and do something about it.
In an attempt to provide independent vendors with a much-needed lifeline he launched ‘Keep Edinburgh Thriving’, a service that provides a selection of local, high-quality products packaged up into gift boxes and delivered to customers to support the local economy. Two sizes of boxes were made available to begin with – a small parcel of four or five items for £39 and a large one of six or seven items for £55. Each one contained a variety of locally
sourced products, including artisan food and snacks, art, drinks, craft coffee, beer, spirits, skin care treatments and lifestyle products, such as candles, coasters, notebooks and mugs or tumblers. Robbie initially thought he would be able to sell around 100 boxes a week which would be hand delivered to addresses in Edinburgh. However, he sold out his first batch in just two days as the idea caught the imagination of consumers and orders started coming in from around the world. In the first six weeks alone Robbie
