Earlston shop in line for new lease of life following sale

The Main Street shop has been sold and is being rebranded as a Premier store under new owner Kimberly McIntyre, of Glasgow.

The 26-year-old, also owner of a Spar store in Oakley, near Dunfermline, bought the shop from the previous retailers there in March.

“I took over my first petrol station when I was 20 and ended up running two for a franchise,” Kimberly said.

“I decided after that I wanted my own shop and bought my first aged 23. “I was on the hunt for my second and Earlston looked perfect.”

She’s spent the past two months renovating inside and recruiting six local full and part-time staff.

Kimberly added: “We are totally refurbishing it. When I took it over, it was really run down, with little stock.

“The plan is to change it to a Premier store and we have signs ready to go up.

“We’ll be adding Costa Coffee and Tango Ice Blast machines, a paypoint, bakery counter and offering hot food – all the things that a village shop really needs.

“We’ll also have a cash machine but one which doesn’t take in your whole card, as I know those kind often worry elderly customers.”

The licensed premises will continue to offer chilled food and drink, everyday groceries, alcohol and magazines.

The dormant post office counter, vacant since the resignation of the last postmaster in March 2017 and the introduction of a mobile service one year later, could soon be back in business too, with Kimberly currently in talks over its reinstatement.

A Post Office spokeswoman added: “A temporary mobile service is still operating in Earlston to maintain service to the village.

“The permanent vacancy was advertised and we have an interested applicant. We are working hard to restore a permanent post office as soon as possible.”

During lockdown the van operates revised hours of 2pm to 4pm on Wednesdays and Fridays.