Greenlifeblogger's Blog

Exactly one year ago, Greenlife staff were running around like proverbial headless chickens preparing for the opening of our new shop in Totnes Market Square. With the fitters still working round us, we were in a state of semi-organised chaos, trying to find the best arrangement for our new shelving while continuing to run our old shop as best we could.  At the 11^th hour, it was decided that one large unit was in completely the wrong place and had to be moved – a whole day’s work lost!  Tempers and fingernails were breaking as we struggled to install 6000 fiddly price labels, while the workmen’s drills kept us busy sweeping up the seemingly endless dust.

The eve of our opening, near to exhaustion, we viewed everything with some bemusement.  It all seemed almost too spacious and strange, too bright and clinical, lacking the warmth and homely ambience of our old premises. But I took heart remembering how similar we had felt on the first day that second shop, when we’d moved there 16 years before.  I knew it would take weeks, if not months, to put the Greenlife stamp on this new site and just hoped our loyal customers would bear with us until such a time.  Thankfully, however unfinished it looked, the majority of customers have smiled favourably upon us both on our opening day and since with many compliments and much goodwill.

Moving from our well known spot at the bottom of Fore Street was not an easy decision.  That end of town had, after all, been home to two incarnations of Greenlife over almost 20 years.  When we realised that even the second shop was getting too small, we kept hoping something bigger close by would become vacant.  Totnes was neatly divided by several health shops, all with their own bit of territory, and it was not our wish to abandon ours.  But over the last few years, nothing turned up and when the old Boots chemist finally became available, we felt we had to seize our opportunity.

A year on, I feel quite certain we made the right decision.  It has not been plain sailing but after twelve very busy (sometimes stressful) months, everything now seems relatively comfortable and familiar. There is no doubt that our current space makes it much more possible to create what we hope is a pleasant and interesting shopping experience for customers and one that is rather different from a typical health food shop. Luckily for those who haven’t taken to the new Greenlife, there are other choices.  As well as Greenlife, Totnes has its traditional wholefood shop Sacks (who have opened a branch at the bottom of town to fill the gap created by our move), the health shop/ bakery Seeds supplying yummy lunchtime snacks and wonderful bread made on site, Riverford Farm Shop with its own special atmosphere and Happy Apple, providing a valuable late-night service, all within walking distance of each other.  Indeed, we’ve even been joined by a Neal’s Yard and yet another health food shop: the redoubtable mainstream chain, Holland and Barrett (did they do their market research before they decided to move into Totnes I ask!!)

How is it possible for one small town to support so many similar shops, one wonders?  I am just hugely grateful that during this time of international financial crisis, we all seem to be surviving alongside one another.  So I finish this with huge thanks and much appreciation for the customers who continue to support us and wish you all to know that we are planning many interesting in-store events and special discount days for 2011.  Please watch our A-boards and posters for further details or check our website click here to catch up with our blog, find up-to-date information and read our latest news.  Customers can also find us on facebook and/or follow us on twitter.

Jamie

Jan 29 2011