On September 3-4, over 2000 people attended the launch of a new Fishkeeper Scotland store in Edinburgh at Dobbies Melville.
Fishkeepers and hobbyists queued from 8am and helped the staff raise funds for two charities: the Sick Kids Hospital and the SSPCA.
Colin Christian, Fishkeeper Scotland’s regional director, said: “We are delighted that visitors turned up in record numbers to help us celebrate the official launch of our new Fishkeeper Scotland store at Dobbies Melville this weekend.
“It was great to welcome not only avid fishkeepers and hobbyist but also families who came from as far afield as the Borders, to enjoy a great day out and check out our new flagship store which we are very proud of.
“The feedback already received has been hugely positive not only on the layout and increased stock but also on the unusual and rare species that are now available, many of which have never been seen in Scotland.
“I’m confident the new store, which is our ninth store in Scotland and second in the city, will continue to be a huge hit with customers who are in great hands with the fantastic team we have on board who are all fishkeepers with incredible knowledge and experience in everything aquatic and who have done a great job getting the store ready in time for our big weekend.”
The new flagship store’s opening weekend included an official ribbon cutting ceremony, goody bags for the first 70 customers and kids’ face painting. Visitors tucked into a celebratory 2ft ‘Golden Nugget’ fish cake and enjoyed a Forth 1 radio roadshow with DJ Mark Martin. Various competitions, discounts and offers were available.
The new store features the company’s first 6,500 litre koi pond, where visitors can feed the fish. It stocks over 5,000 exotic invertebrates and tropical freshwater, marine, coldwater and pond fish from around the world. These include Clownfish and Tangs as well as Discus and Cichlids.
Over 200 aquariums, including the company’s own AquaOak range and freshwater plants, saltwater corals, ponds and accessories are available on site. The store is part of an ongoing expansion programme, which will see the total number of Fishkeeper Scotland stores increase to 14 by the end of 2017.
