I’ll B seeing you around!
IT’S the end of an era for Oldmeldrum, as one of the town’s most enduring businesses closes its doors for the final time later this month.
Jackie Allen, who has owned the B’s Knees since 1986, will wind up the business on January 31, with a clearance sale now on.
Speaking to the Times, Jackie said that she had thoroughly enjoyed her time in Oldmeldrum, but that it was time to move on - to a new career as a business consultant.
“I’ve been doing the job for 25 years now, seven days a week,” she said. “I’ve loved every minute of it, and want to use my expertise to advise other people setting up their own businesses. My time running B’s Knees will feed very well into my new career path - I’ll be working on a consultancy basis with Business Gateway initially, along with a range of other projects.
Jackie, who expanded the boutique to include a café and beauty salon, added that she was pleased to have maintained the business for so long. She also added that she was proud of the work the shop had done locally, raising thousands of pounds for local charities through fashion shows and special offers.
“For any business, 25 years is a long time,” she said. “The average lifetime of any business is 13 years, and for fashion retailers it’s between three and five. I’ve had many, people come in and say how much they’ve enjoyed and appreciated the goods they’ve bought, and the experiences they’ve had. The shop became a bit of a destination, offering different fashions worth travelling to Oldmeldrum for.”
Over its quarter century, the B’s Knees managed to garner awards as Trend’s Fashion Retailer of the Year 2009, a Business Development Award from Enterprise North East, and a shortlisting for Drapers’ Record Retailer of the Year.
Jackie told the Times that her outfits had gone far and wide, with one female customer travelling from Canada for an outfit. She added that she had met many interesting people over the years, and would miss socialising with her customers.
“It’s been a great environment to work in, and I’ve had some amazing customers and staff over the years - and, of course, the excitement of working in fashion! I’d like to thank my family, and my sons Chris and Nick in particular, for putting up with my hectic working life.”
The B’s Knees Sale will run until January 31, with a wide selection of fashions, fabrics and accessories. The premises will also be available to let, and would be ideal for a similar business - for info, contact contact Knightfrank.co.uk.
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Ellon
Monday 21 May 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 6 C to 13 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 8 C to 15 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: East
