Moray shoppers support local in first week back after four months of lockdown
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ELGIN’S streets sprang back to life this week as shops, cafés and pubs reopened their doors to customers.
From the morning of Monday, April 26, people have been out spending to support their local traders, finally getting hold of items or organising repairs after a long wait, or catching up with friends for a coffee or an outdoor pint.
Queues built up at ATM machines – an unfamiliar sight after four months of lockdown.
Elgin BID manager Gemma Cruickshank was delighted to see brisk business.
Out and about on Elgin High Street on Monday, Gemma said: "I did think that people would be out in force supporting local, and I hoped that would be the case, and it actually has been.
"We were out this morning at 9.30am and it was busy. People have been out for their coffee and scones and they are supporting local, definitely.
"It’s been good to see. I just hope it continues."
Karen Mackay, general manager at Little The Jewellers, said there was positivity in the air as the week began.
She said: "We opened at 9am and we’ve had customers in the door since. We’ve seen a lot of positivity and good sales.
"With us finishing on Christmas Eve, we had the pre-Christmas trade, which meant that if things didn’t fit or needed resized or exchanged then people haven’t been able to do that, so we have that custom at the moment as well.
"Everyone seems to be in a good mood now that they can get out again."
Vic Flett, owner of South Street music shop Sound and Vision, was looking forward to a chat and a joke with customers again.
He said: "After last lockdown people were coming in with two or three instruments at a time after waiting for us to reopen to get repairs done, so the queue has started to build.
"We’ve been working online right through and the past few weeks we’ve been allowed to do ‘click and collect’, we’ve been kept busy with local deliveries and online work.
"But all that is not the same as having people in to speak to. It’s good to have people in to have a chat and a laugh with.
"Fingers crossed and we’ll hope for good things."
Carol Ralph works at Yeadon's of Elgin bookshop, on Commerce Street, and was glad to see browsers back in the shop.
She said: "There have been happy, smiling faces this morning, on both sides of the counter. We’re so pleased to be back.
"We’ve had people in who haven’t been into the shop before because they were born during lockdown.
"We’ve had people browsing, which we’ve really missed.
"Dealing with orders online or on the phone is not the same as there isn’t the same general chat about books."
It was a bustling restart for Marius Puscas, owner of Planta café on Batchen Street, which opened in July last year after the original plan for a March opening was held off. He has been closed for seven months since then due to government Covid-19 restrictions.
Marius said: "Batchen Street is looking fantastic and we’ve been absolutely out the door.
"It’s been great and hopefully, fingers crossed, that will be the last closure. The last four months have been hard on everyone.
"We’re really hoping for the council to give us the chance to put tables out again like last year. That was fantastic for the whole city centre."
Inside Planta Jan Little and mum Irene Williamson, from Elgin, were enjoying a catch-up over coffee and a look round the shops.
Jan said: "We were in one of the shoe shops and it was really busy. And we decided to come in here for coffee and cake. It’s just nice, therapeutic, to be out again doing that."
It was all about supporting local for Ray Huldal and daughter Rachel Munro, from Buckie. Ray said: "We’re not bothered about going to the pub or anything. We want to go shopping and have a coffee and try to support local businesses.
"We’ve ordered so much stuff online lately. It’s a chance to get back to local shops and I’d rather do that. Older folk are maybe still a bit wary about going out after all this time, but I couldn’t wait to get out to the shops."
Shopper Isobel Ingram, from Burghead, said: "It’s good to see folk out and about again. I’m out to get a new battery for a watch and we’ve been up to Callum’s Kitchen, at Moray Sports Centre, for our coffee.
"It’s fine to see folk instead of looking at the same four walls."
Away from the High Street, Julie Turner, general manager at Pinz Bowling on Moycroft Road, said: "I woke up this morning and saw the weather and thought ‘oh no’, but it hasn’t stopped people coming out and enjoying a pint in the beer garden.
"It’s all online booking at the moment. We’re not doing walk-ins so that we can monitor numbers, and we’re doing two-hour time slots."
The venue created an outdoor bar area during the first lockdown. The second closure has seen a major revamp indoors. It is fully booked for May Day.
Julie added: "I was a little nervous this morning, I’m not going to lie. It’s been a while since we had customers in. We switched the phones on this morning and they’ve been going non-stop.
"It’s great to see customers back in the garden enjoying themselves, having a beer, and they’re being well-behaved. People are desperate to get out and have that little bit of normality back in their lives."
Meanwhile, the car park was busy at Johnstons of Elgin visitor centre.
Retail general manager Stewart Marshall said: "We have been steady. The restaurant has definitely been busy and people are just happy to be getting out and about again.
"It does seem to be the catering that people have missed most.
"A lot of our customers like that social aspect and interacting with members of staff, and a lot of our staff have been here for 20-30 years so they’re more like friends.
"People have missed those conversations and having coffee with their friends. It’s great to see all of them back."
Johnstons of Elgin restaurant manager Lewis Kinniburgh added: "We were expecting it to be steady and a flow of people, and it has been. People have got that confidence about coming out again and have that confidence that here is a safe place to come for food.
"Customers have been excited to come back, and we’ve been happy to see their smiley faces."
Hannah Gauld, administration and showroom assistant at The Blind Spot, at Chanonry Business Centre, said: "Reopening day was really good, we ended up being really busy. We've got quite a few customers booked in for measures.
"It was good to have people back in speaking to them about sizing and samples, and generally being a bit more productive."
