Daisy Cheynes, Edinburgh’s well-loved gifts and accessories shop started by Karen Heriot 12 years ago, is changing hands. The Stockbridge shop, at 51 Raeburn Place, first opened its doors in February 2011 and over the years has served thousands of customers with its trademark brands of beautiful gifts for the home, accessories for women and toys and games for children.
Having served her customers these past 12 years, Karen has decided that it is time to pass her business on to someone else and retire from retail.
“It’s been such a privilege to serve our customers over the years. It’s a bit of a cliché I know, but we really, truly could not have made Daisy Cheynes into the shop it has become without their support. Some of our customers, many of them Stockbridge residents, have been our customers since we opened. I’ve seen babies pushed around the shop in their buggies turn into teenagers!”
“I’ll miss everything about the shop but especially our traditional Christmas events, when, after Halloween was over, we turned around the shelves to make our Christmas shop and served a little glass of fizz on the first day for our customers as they browsed. It really did turn into an annual event and many of our customers looked forward to it as November approached.”
Karen is often asked about the name of her shop, Daisy Cheynes. Many people assumed it was because of its proximity to Cheyne Street, but Karen says that was just a coincidence. “I named the shop after my mum. Her maiden name was Cheyne and at school she was often called Daisy, so it seemed to me to be a lovely way to remember her but it also turned out to be a great name for the kind of shop we were”.
“It will be odd closing the shop for the last time (it closes on Thursday 30 March) and I know I’ll miss it, but I also have lots to look forward to. My husband and I will be able to spend more time with our granddaughter, Isla, and we’re looking forward to the birth of her sister or brother in May. I’ll also stay in touch with some of my suppliers and customers who have become friends over the years, and with Morven, my assistant who’s worked with us for the last five years and has contributed so much to Daisy’s success.”
“And sad though I will be at leaving, I’m happy to have found a lovely person to take Daisy Cheynes into the future. Juliet Gaul will take over Daisy’s on the fourth of April, and I wish her every success. I believe my customers can be confident that their gift shop on Raeburn Place will continue to be their destination for lovely gifts and accessories.”
“Finally, I would like to thank all my customers from over the years for supporting Daisy Cheynes and for continuing to shop local, especially for their support during and after the dark days of the pandemic. Working at Daisy’s has been a joy and I shall treasure my memories of it for a long time to come.”
Karen.
Keep up to date on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, or at daisycheynes.com
51 Raeburn Place, Edinburgh EH4 1HX,
