| We are happy to accept the following payment methods. PAYPAL - PERSONAL CHEQUES - POSTAL ORDERS - CREDIT/DEBIT CARDS. |
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| Established in 1967
Nicol’s (Killer Prices) originally opened in 1967 by Mr. Edward Nicol after resigning from his work as a Hospital Porter here in Inverness.
It all started prior to this when Mr Nicol bought several items during an auction of Lost Property from the local British Rail Offices. These goods were offered to his work colleagues and friends.
The next auction took place later in the year and due to his previous success Mr Nicol purchased many, many more items such as opera glasses, watches, umbrellas, cig lighters etc etc.
Mr Nicol’s son Trevor joined in by taking some of the items to his High School where his friends would buy items such as pocket transistor radios and watches.
Some of the items bought from the Lost Property department were in a new or very good condition and the demand for these lines grew and grew to such an extent Mr Nicol realized that as there was a BIG need for low cost goods in the Inverness area (no discount stores in these days) he should take the plunge and go into business full time.
A bit of testing time was initially required so he visited Wholesale suppliers in Glasgow before deciding which lines to take home.
At first, along with a stock of portable radios etc.,
Candy striped flannelette sheets and Brushed nylon sheets (remember them?) seemed to be the order of the day.
Eventually the spare bedroom at home was choc-a-bloc with various goodies and business was booming. Initial testing time showed that success was definitely on the cards so Mr Nicol retired from his Hospital Porter job and invested in an old, unused, almost condemned corner house to use as a store-cum-shop.
This was a very old, step-in and step-down through the front door premises, with about a thousand coats of wallpaper (I exaggerate slightly). After clearing out all the rubble from the floor and an old carpet laid on what used to be the living room floor, the premises were opened to the public for a couple of days per week.
By this time Trevor had left school and a friend of his who had taken up a position as a first year apprentice Glazier, offered to put a pane of glass in the boarded up window. When the job was done it was noted that when lorries, buses etc. passed by the whole pane of glass shook within its frame (Apparently not enough or no putty installed at time of fitting) Glass never did fall out though.
Many years have passed since then and we still get customers coming in to tell us that they remember buying and maybe still having items they bought from us on either the first day, week or month we opened.
How’s that for a testimony of real quality?
Over the years at Nicol’s we’ve sold hundreds/thousands of different lines including anoraks - ponchos - hot pants and even kitchen sinks at one point.
The business today continues to be operated by Trevor who is helped by his wife Susan who takes care of the stock control and sales of many of the lines now stocked at fantastic low prices.
And now the wee Corner shop from 1967 trades on the Internet. Now that’s what I call “Keeping Up To Date”. – Agree? |
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