**Note – Johny’s Wares closed in September 2017 following Gille’s skiing accident**<\/h3>\nThis week, we speak to Johny and Gilles of Johny’s Wares, Woodingdean’s very own Aladdin’s Cave.\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/div>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/woodingdeaninbusiness.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/IMG_20140702_174942181_HDR.jpg\")
<\/a><\/div>\nGilles and Johny<\/b><\/span><\/div>\n\u00a0<\/b><\/div>\nWe dreamt of opening a hardware shop long before we made it a reality. <\/b>It was something we\u2019d both wanted separately, so when we met we decided it was time to make it happen. We invested everything we had in getting our business off the ground \u2013 Gilles sold all of his possessions to raise the funds! We scouted all around Brighton for a suitable area before finding the perfect location in Woodingdean.<\/div>\n\u00a0<\/b><\/div>\nStarting the business in a recession was one of the best choices we ever made. <\/b>People told us we were crazy, but actually the timing was perfect. When people are struggling for money, it suits them to shop locally; they can save on petrol, parking and time. Gilles studied the market and realised that, at the time, 80% of Tesco\u2019s profits were coming from their corner shops. People like being able to do their shopping on their own high street, within their local community. That\u2019s what we wanted to provide, and it\u2019s clearly worked because two years on we\u2019re still here.<\/div>\n\u00a0<\/b><\/div>\nThere\u2019s no point stocking a novelty toilet brush if no one will buy it. <\/b>When we started out we had a few items that we really liked, but they wouldn\u2019t sell. Often people loved to stop and look at them, but nobody actually bought them. It taught us that you should always stock what people want, even if it\u2019s not what you expected to be selling. Johny is great at listening to the customers and adapting our stock to meet their needs. For example, we had lots of parents coming in asking about kids\u2019 lunchboxes, so now we stock a range of those. We now sell all sorts of things besides hardware.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/woodingdeaninbusiness.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/IMG_20140703_131147303.jpg\")
<\/a><\/div>\nan Aladdin’s Cave<\/b><\/span><\/div>\n\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/div>\nThe little things make a big difference. <\/b>We’ve created a welcoming, relaxed environment for people to shop in. That means providing customers with bathroom facilities, letting dogs inside the shop and giving them a biscuit, going the extra mile for customers with special requirements. We installed a doorbell out on the street so that anybody unable to climb the stairs could ring and we\u2019d bring the products out to them. We also pride ourselves on being very knowledgeable on our products and we can always give customers advice if they\u2019d like it.<\/div>\n<\/div>\nIt\u2019s been great to see Woodingdean grow. <\/b>When we first opened, there was nothing on Warren Road. Now, there are quite a few shops, with more coming all the time. Woodingdean is a very friendly, close community of people who support each other. Although in the future we\u2019d like to expand Johny\u2019s Wares online and even to another store, we\u2019re first and foremost a Woodingdean business.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nFor more information about local businesses and what’s on in Woodingdean, head to\u00a0<\/span>www.woodingdeaninbusiness.co.uk<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n
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<\/a><\/div>\nGilles and Johny<\/b><\/span><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/b><\/div>\n
We dreamt of opening a hardware shop long before we made it a reality. <\/b>It was something we\u2019d both wanted separately, so when we met we decided it was time to make it happen. We invested everything we had in getting our business off the ground \u2013 Gilles sold all of his possessions to raise the funds! We scouted all around Brighton for a suitable area before finding the perfect location in Woodingdean.<\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/b><\/div>\n
Starting the business in a recession was one of the best choices we ever made. <\/b>People told us we were crazy, but actually the timing was perfect. When people are struggling for money, it suits them to shop locally; they can save on petrol, parking and time. Gilles studied the market and realised that, at the time, 80% of Tesco\u2019s profits were coming from their corner shops. People like being able to do their shopping on their own high street, within their local community. That\u2019s what we wanted to provide, and it\u2019s clearly worked because two years on we\u2019re still here.<\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/b><\/div>\n
There\u2019s no point stocking a novelty toilet brush if no one will buy it. <\/b>When we started out we had a few items that we really liked, but they wouldn\u2019t sell. Often people loved to stop and look at them, but nobody actually bought them. It taught us that you should always stock what people want, even if it\u2019s not what you expected to be selling. Johny is great at listening to the customers and adapting our stock to meet their needs. For example, we had lots of parents coming in asking about kids\u2019 lunchboxes, so now we stock a range of those. We now sell all sorts of things besides hardware.<\/div>\n
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<\/a><\/div>\nan Aladdin’s Cave<\/b><\/span><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/div>\n
The little things make a big difference. <\/b>We’ve created a welcoming, relaxed environment for people to shop in. That means providing customers with bathroom facilities, letting dogs inside the shop and giving them a biscuit, going the extra mile for customers with special requirements. We installed a doorbell out on the street so that anybody unable to climb the stairs could ring and we\u2019d bring the products out to them. We also pride ourselves on being very knowledgeable on our products and we can always give customers advice if they\u2019d like it.<\/div>\n
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It\u2019s been great to see Woodingdean grow. <\/b>When we first opened, there was nothing on Warren Road. Now, there are quite a few shops, with more coming all the time. Woodingdean is a very friendly, close community of people who support each other. Although in the future we\u2019d like to expand Johny\u2019s Wares online and even to another store, we\u2019re first and foremost a Woodingdean business.<\/div>\n
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For more information about local businesses and what’s on in Woodingdean, head to\u00a0<\/span>www.woodingdeaninbusiness.co.uk<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n