New 15-17 shop in Kirkcaldy gets opening date

The shop, which will fill the empty slot left by Debenham’s earlier this year, is set to open on Saturday, September 12.

15-17 will bring a mix of different retailers under one roof, with a selection of small local businesses and bigger national names trading side-by-side.

The fledgling chain aims to make use of large empty retail spaces which would be unattractive to many businesses and divide them up into smaller sections that are more manageable for independent traders.

15-17 will also focus on leisure as well as shopping, with a cafe, music events, and other top secret features to entertain families.

Spokesperson Euan Ruddick said that 15-17 is leading a “High Street revolution”.

He explained the idea behind bringing businesses together under one roof.

He said: “It’s a one-stop shop for good quality products, and a good variety of them. It’s about good service that allows businesses an affordable home now which they’ve not had in the past.

“Many will have struggled to do business because of what landlords will have been taking off them.

"We’re not like that, we make it very affordable. It’s really an umbrella we’re creating for them. You know exactly where you are, your rent, your wifi and facilities, we make adverts on Facebook and promote them.

"We’ve got national companies, independents, and we have local people who we’re asking to join us on our High Street revolution.”

He added that the store will bring more than just shopping.

He said: “High Streets have changed no and they’ve been changing for some time. It’s changing into a more personable experience, mixed with leisure.

“As more slots become vacant you’ll see more leisure and services as well. We’re bringing things back a better experience, to make it an exciting thing to come and shop.

"When the lockdown happened, I think people realised they missed being able to go shopping, with the socialising aspect of it, and meeting people for lunch, or trying on some clothes.

"We want people to come out and enjoy themselves. We’ll always have space for young musicians to come in and play instruments or sing, giving them a platform to entertain people. Plus we’ll have a few other surprises in ‘leisure interaction’ too.”

The first branch opened in Ayr in August 2019, with Kirkcaldy being the second site, and further stores planned