Shopping
INSPECTO
Go-go gadget legs
First there was the quirky 80s cartoon. Inspector Gadget. Now there‘s the quirky Glasgow gadget shop, Inspecto. The brainchild of 23-year-old music technology graduate Mark Turner, Inspecto opened in December and is already a magnet for kids and gadget-geeks alike.
As well as fun novelty-items and games, gifts and accessories line the shelves of the small. modern space. Glitter pens, scented candles and sparkly tealight holders are displayed alongside a zoo of stuffed, long-haired animals called the Buff Bunch, who appear to be challenging for the Beanie Babies crown. ‘Kids go mad in here,’ says Turner. ‘They want to pull everything apart.‘
They also get change from their pocket money, with board games such as Ludo, chess and draughts priced at £2.80 each, marbles costing 80p and bubbles costing 25p. ‘We‘re trying to keep the prices low compared to other West End outlets — especially for gifts,’ he says. ‘About 60% of our customers are students, who get a 10% discount.‘
Favourite items for the bigger kids include lava lamps, disco balls, smoke machines and flashing spot and filter-lights. ‘We recently played on our growing reputation as a good place for home disco accessories,‘ says Turner. ‘80 we dressed up in 705 gear and gave out flyers wearing chest-wigs and medallions. I even got the Inspecto logo plastered all over my car and drove about with Barry White blasting.‘
But there's also a range of stock for the more serious shopper that includes everything from hi- tech digital cameras (£40) to bullet flasks (£10) and designer silver-jewellery. And there’s more to come. ‘I’ll be beefing up the stock and intend to be fully organised by mid-summer,‘ says the budding entrepreneur, who envisages Inspecto branches across Scotland. ‘I might even earn enough to quit my part-time job in Next.’ (Louise Prendergast)
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