In the first of a series looking at the fantastic rewards picked up by the winners at this year’s SLR Rewards, we head to Crianlarich to discover why Isla and Bryan Craig’s new road signs could be a saviour for their business.
There is community involvement and then there’s Bryan and Isla Craig. In the tiny village of Crianlarich, with a population of only 150, their Londis store is the beating heart of the community and the couple’s commitment to holding that community together is incredible.
That’s why they were named Community Involvement Retailer of the Year at this year’s SLR Rewards. With our new and exclusive rewards programme, not only did they win the accolade, but in conjunction with our category sponsor PayPoint, the store also won a reward of brand new livery for their store. After a discussion with Bryan and Isla however, we agreed that it would be far more beneficial for the store to benefit from road signs to be placed near their store.
The reason for this is that a bypass is currently being constructed that will take traffic to a new road – which is bad news for the store. The village is in an advantageous position for passing trade as it is dissected by two roads – the north/south bound A82 from Glasgow to Fort William, and the east/west bound A85 from Callander to Oban. “The 85 goes right past our door and that will still be the case,” says Isla. “It’s the A82 that’s being bypassed, so instead of being just 200m away, it’s now going to be a mile above the village.” Isla explains the repercussions of this. “We have a huge reliance on passing trade here.
The village has only around 50 houses so without the passing trade there wouldn’t be a shop. In the summer months we bring in four times the revenue we do in the winter months. When the bypass opens we will undoubtedly lose some of that, so it’s vitally important that people are aware that the shop is here.” And that’s where our road signs come in. “For some tourists travelling north from Glasgow airport, we’re the first place they stop, so they need to know we’re here or they’ll drive past,” says Isla. The story of the bypass is a lengthy one.
It was first mooted back in the 1920s and the prospect of a development has reared its head plenty of times since, finally getting the go ahead in 2005. While they couldn’t prevent the road from going ahead, opposition did lead to a public enquiry, which led to a concession that saw a roundabout constructed at Crianlarich in place of a right-hand turn. “That’s important,” says Isla. “With a roundabout every driver has to slow down and they have a decision to make about what way to turn. With a right-hand turn it’s easier for people to drive past without even thinking about coming into the village.” Delays to the road meant that its opening has been pushed back from earlier this summer into the autumn, meaning the store was given a final reprieve – a final summer to trade as it has always done. “It’s actually been a really good summer as we’ve had the usual tourists plus the workmen from the road. We’ve kept them onside as they’re only doing their job,” says Isla.
Visibility
This attempt to ensure passing travellers still know the store is there is why the road signs will be such a vital marketing tool for Isla and Bryan. They are going to be placed on private land by the side of the road, boldly standing out and letting every single passing vehicle know what’s on offer in the shop. “We were actually approached by the land owner who offered to let us put a sign up by the road, so that shows the scale of community spirit in the village.” Winning the Reward is down to the community spirit that they foster of course, and Isla says she and Bryan were thrilled to take the prize. “We were obviously delighted to win – for ourselves, for the store, the customers, the community,” she says.
“The Reward means we can get these signs in place for the road opening and that will help us try to do the summer trade we’ve always done.” She adds: “We certainly think the signs will help preserve our sales. We’ve got them safely stored and when the time comes they’ll be getting put up.” Antony Begley, SLR Publishing Director says: “Having seen first hand just how important Crianlarich Stores is to the local community, we’re delighted to be able to help ensure that the visibility of the store remains prominent and that the passing trade that is so vital to the store continues to come by, even when the bypass opens.” Garry Lynch, Business Development Manager at PayPoint adds: “They saw an opportunity to create a hugely effective marketing tool with the new signs and we’re thrilled they’ve been able to use their SLR Reward in conjunction with PayPoint to do that. Bryan and Isla run a brilliant business that’s involved in so many aspects of the community and is truly indispensable to Crianlarich. We wish them every success for the future.”
Road opening
The date of the road opening isn’t known yet but you can be sure that as soon as it does, the signs will be up, and Crianlarich Stores can continue to deliver the incredible service it provides for its community, and for those who pass through.
Reasons for the Rewards
It’s not an exaggeration to say that without Bryan and Isla Craig’s store, Crianlarich would function far less effectively as a community Q The store is at the heart of most of what goes on in the village, 365 days a year using the shop as a central hub for all activity Q The couple serve on every committee and group in the villlage, they fundraise, they provide the post office, they do home deliveries.
