Business / Flowers power Nicola’s love for Universal as pair take over
HOW MANY children can say their parents literally own a sweetie shop?
For Nicola and Joe Williamson’s four bairns, that is the dream they are now living after the pair took over much-loved Lerwick institution Universal Stores earlier this month.
“They’ve been offering so many sweeties to their friends already,” Nicola laughed.
It is not just the dream of the youngsters to call Universal Stores their own. For keen florist Nicola, taking over Universal means the world to her.
“All I’ve ever loved is being creative,” she told Shetland News last week.
“I used to have an office job, but it’s just not for me.”
Nicola was studying a university course on forestry, having “always loved flowers”, when Universal Stores went up for sale late last year.
Her and husband Joe, who is a director at GTS, decided to take a leap and register their interest in the business.
“I was working at the hospital at that time, but I was kind of in a bit of a cross point in terms of what I wanted to do,” Nicola said.
“The opportunity came up and we just went for it.
The path to getting the keys to Universal was long and, at times, fraught. They started the process of buying it in August last year, finally taking over on 3 March.
“It’s been a bit of a long struggle,” Nicola admitted.
“I actually left the hospital at the start of December because we thought it was going to go through then.
“We were just having to go through so many people.”
Despite the freezing temperatures in the flower shop, to keep the plants in peak condition, Nicola said the first few weeks had been a baptism of fire.
“There’s been no let up,” she said.
“It was supposed to be a soft launch, but it ended up being a very hard launch.
“I did 70 hours in the week leading up to Mother’s Day. But it’s been really good.”
The famous sweetie shop on the street is in the process of being ripped up and renovated, but Nicola assured the community that it will definitely stay a sweetie shop.
One option she is considering is offering takeaway coffee from the shop, although she said this was just an idea at the moment.
She is spending the majority of her time in the flower shop on the lower floor, which she is aiming to make into a place where folk can get more than just a fresh bouquet.
“I want to have gifts and candles too, not just flowers,” she said.
“We want to make it more of a shop where you can get something else as well.”
Nicola also wants to offer flower and wreath making classes in future, including giving brides-to-be the chance to craft their dream wedding bouquet.
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