FOR BUSINESS
Independent shops across Paisley and Renfrewshire were delighted to open their doors again as the area moved down to Level Three restrictions.
S c o t t i s h Government guidelines mean in Level Three non-essential shops can open as well as leisure centres, cafes and restaurants until 6pm and health and beauty services like hairdressers.
On Paisley High Street Joanne Lafferty, assistant manager of the British Heart Foundation charity shop, said had been busy since opening on Friday.
“We’ve been in the last few days getting things ready and people were knocking on the door and asking when we were going to be open,” she said.
“We are always busy but we definitely notice it more at Christmas. We need a busy
Christmas even more so this year afterbeing after being shut for so longinthe long in the spring.
“It’s good to be back at work and our volunteers are great, we couldn’t do this without them.
“Hopefully, we’ll stay open from now on.”
Across the road at the Haberdashery, Lorna McGrady, who owns the shop with her sister and mum, said there had been some confusion with their customers over when they were reopening.
She said: “Some people thought it lifted at 6pm on Friday evening and we shouldn’t be open so a lot of our trade has been from passers by rather than people making a trip to see us.
“Normally at this time of year we’re busy selling netting for people to make door bows and we’ve run classes in the past on making your own wreath but we’ve had to cancel all that this year.
“Lockdown has had a huge impact. It’s taking us a lot longer to get stock inbecause in because theworld the world shut down back in the spring, it’s just starting to pick back up again now.
“A lot of our customers are isolated and disabled. They were really upset we had to close, they said we’re an essential business to them. Sometimes we’re the only people they see all day.
“It’s had such a big impact on everyone.”
At Armoury Tattoo parlour, husband and wife owners Kris and Eve were getting ready to reopen this morning.
They only opened their New Street studio in May last year but said they fell through the cracks for government funding because they’d put all their savings into the business.
Kris said: “We’re lucky to still be open, we’re hanging in there.
“Luckily, our landlord has been very good to us which has really helped.
“We’ve kept going because we can’t bear to lose the business that we have put everything in to, but it’s been hard.”
Eve added: “-There are a lot of businesses suffering. We’ve had people on the phone asking when we’re opening back up and I’ve been busy phoning around rearranging people’s appointments.”
On the High Street, busker Patrick Brandes, who’s originally from the Netherlands, has been singing some Christmas tunes to try and keep shoppers happy.
H e said:
“I busk every Friday in Paisley for about three or four hours. hours I’m now singing Christmas songs because everybody’s missing those songs.
“We are not able to enjoy live music in pubs or in church or open mic nights so this is a good public place to sing.
“I’d say the High Street is busier than usual for a wet Friday.”