Sweet charity on Grantown High Street
In these days of High Street volatility, even fragility, it is understandable that some retail outlets go big on celebrating their continued survival despite seemingly insuperable odds.
Brexit, inflation and the Covid pandemic are not the only culprits behind an economic downturn which long preceded them.
High Street frontages have been changing with increasing speed, chalking off banks and assorted store chains in all our communities.
In a week which has seen notable closures in both Strathspey and Badenoch capitals – Walkers Shortbread, Cairngorm Butchers and Minerva’s Emporium – it was sweet indeed to be in one shop which is positively celebrating.
Lorna Mcintosh and Leanne Sargent have been the happy owners of The Candy Coo for five years – but that’s not even the half of it.
“We have owned this gorgeous wee shop for nearly five years but it has been a sweet shop for 40 years this year, which truly is an achievement in this day and age!” said Ms Mcintosh.
“We like to think about what can we do to make an impact for us, our shop and, most important of all, our lovely customers.”
“We came up with the idea of doing 40 acts of kindness this year to mark the event,” said Ms Sargent.
“We hope it will make our customers smile and that it will also hopefully have a knock-on effect, where ripples of kindness – and raspberry – spread out.”
Having a shop on the High Street is not easy, they fully admit.
“Our costs have gone through the roof,” said Leanne, “but we hope to encourage more folks to use their own high street, so that more shops don’t shut.
“We hear time and again from customers and visitors ‘We love your high street there are so many great shops’. Well we want to keep it that way, so feel this positive little gesture will touch the hearts of folks.”
So for the rest of the year they will be carrying out random Acts of Kindss to the community.
Already a handful have been carried out, including price reductions and free bags of favourite sweetmeats.
Today has seen everyone buying a scooped ice cream presented with a free Flake.
“If they don’t eat chocolate then we will give them a free topping.”
The gifts apply to all ages and will go on until at least the 40 gestures have been made, to make the rare longevity of the shop.
