By Alix Norman
I keep stopping to admire my glow stick ring. It’s quite hard to type when you’ve got sparkly, fluorescent fingers, but it’s totally worth it if you’re 19 at heart. Which is probably why the shop I bought it from appealed to me so much.
Tiger, the high-street chain born in Denmark and taking over the world in an IKEA-cum-Accessorize-cum-Poundland manner is my new favourite place to shop. They’ve just opened a store on Ledra Street and, in true Scandinavian form, are ready to provide the island with all the fab, functional and fairly-priced items we could possibly want or need. From reading glasses to picture frames, party paraphernalia to kitchen kit, Tiger’s array of brightly-coloured, self-designed merchandise is a hit with discerning bargain hunters. And, unlike the more tawdry wares of Poundland (or the many ‘everything for a euro’ shops that are springing up all over the island) it’s not tat; what they’re selling is well-made, practical and fun.
“We appeal to everybody from students, who are busy buying notebooks, and children spending their pocket money, to men who come for their outdoor hobbies,” said Tiger UK managing director, Philip Bier in a recent interview with the Daily Mail. “Just because it is affordable, it doesn’t need to be nasty,” explains the Dane.
Founded by Lennart Lajboschitz, who started out running a market stall in Copenhagen’s Israel Square, the chain is quickly taking over the high streets of Europe. So, with nearly 300 stores in over 20 countries, it was about time
Tiger (the name originates in the Danish slang for 10 kroner – just over one euro – and references the low prices) appeared in Cyprus. After all, in this time of economic crisis, where better to satisfy our need for a little retail therapy without breaking the bank?
“It’s great for a quick gift or two,” says Elena Stylianou, who works nearby. A young mother in her early thirties, she’s the ideal demographic for the Tiger marketing engine: a little extra cash to burn but always discerning in what she buys. “Though I’ve lived in the UK, I’d never come across the stores before,” she says. “But I’d noticed it was opening and did a Google search to see what it was all about. It seemed like my sort of place,” she continues, adding that she made a point of visiting soon after it had opened.
“It’s like a second IKEA, a variety shop that’s a great idea on Ledra Street because when – with a young baby – do I really have the time to drive all the way out of town to get a photo frame? And there’s a great layout to the store: you really have to go all the way round to see everything there is – and there’s such a lot!”
She mentions that for her son’s christening, she bought a whole load of Tiger’s cheaply-priced, yet well-made wooden toys to give away as gifts, while she’s got her eye on the arts and crafts section for when he’s a little bit older. And she’s not the only one who’s taken with the craft wares; a crowd of customers are perusing the walls of beads, glitter sticks and coloured paper, the shelves packed with canvases and paints. “My boyfriend’s an artist, and this is way cheaper than Rainbow,” says 25-year-oldshopper Lorna Hughes, whose basket is filled with accoutrements for her first home: brightly hued egg timers nestling next to divine heart-shaped sponges; a watermelon cushion struggling against a set of wooden spoons.
On this Saturday morning, the shop is already heaving with customers eager to avail themselves of the staggering array and the reasonable prices: at Tiger, there’s none of this messy €1.99, €3.95 business – everything is priced on the euro mark so there’s no holding up the heaving queues at the counters. And it’s a system that probably makes things easier for the sales staff too – unlike similar shops, here the attendants seem to be efficient and glad to help. “I’ve worked in retail before,” says one of the workforce, as she dashes to restock the shelves. “I’m far happier here; we’re a team at Tiger.”
This seems to be part of the concept of the chain: it’s somewhere where everything from the exciting products to the upbeat music, the smiling sales assistants to the gleeful shoppers, is driven by a positive vibe. There’s even a large quote from founder Lennart Lajboschitz hanging from one wall, supporting the feel-good ethos: “We’d like to make a difference to people, make their lives more interesting and help spread joy through the things with which they surround themselves… It’s not the plate, but the food people prepare and share. It’s not the candle or the fairy lights but the conversations in their glow!” And with one whole rainbow shelf of crockery – not to mention the abundance of candles and fairy lights – it’s suddenly easy for everyone to dish up an affordable dinner party where the conversation truly flows.
“We buy in bulk,” says Bier, explaining how the store can afford to sell at such reasonable prices. “Our products are made all around the world, including Denmark and China. We are very aware of our social responsibility, we have a strict code of conduct and we visit factories regularly,” he adds, genuinely shocked at the suggestion that child labour might be involved in any way: “No success is worth that.”
It’s certainly a relief to know that their moral attitude extends thus far, especially as the majority of customers are fairly youthful themselves (now school is out, Tiger seems to be the teenage hangout of choice, especially on
Saturday mornings – consider yourself warned!). Or, if not in their first youth, at least young at heart, I think as I admire my sparkly fingers. I’ll go back next week, of course, and pretend to be a grown-up: heart-shaped sponges will certainly make the doing the dishes more fun.
Tiger is located on Ledra Street, close to Starbucks. Opening hours are from 9am-9pm on weekdays, and 9am-10pm on Saturdays
