The owners of a fledgling Dundee business have been stunned to find themselves in the running for a major UK retail award.
Friends Viv Stephen and Dave Blair, who opened Quirky Coo in the city’s Union Street in 2013, thought their nomination for The Great Gift Retailer Awards was “a wind-up”.
The reality was far from it, as they had been selected from thousands of stores across the country to contest the best newcomer category.
“Dave and I had worked together for some time at Perth and Kinross and Stirling councils, but our contracts had come to an end,” said Viv.
“We were care sharing and we’d been discussing what we would do next when the idea of opening a shop together just popped up.
“We took a look around various cities but there just seemed to be such a buzz around Dundee that we decided it was head and shoulders above anywhere else as the place to start up.”
Viv added: “It’s been going really well so far and we’re expanding online too.
“In the future, I hope that all the work that’s going on at the Waterfront will bring even more customers through our door.”
The winners of Progressive Gifts and Home magazine’s award will be announced during a ceremony at London’s Savoy Hotel on May 7.
The awards recognise not only the top independent and multiple gift retailers regionally and nationally, but also outstanding retail employees.