Guernsey's cave of wonders

Tuesday 31 December 2019

This year, Aladdin's Cave marked 40 years of serving Guernsey customers. But as everyone knows, success in the 2019 retail market is not as simple as rubbing a lamp and making a wish.

CONNECT had the chance to sit down with the two MDs of the business to talk about how they maintain the department store's magic.

40 years ago, a popular family-run camping shop took a leap and moved into a pair of warehouses down the road. It was with that decision the the Mahy family started Aladdin's Cave, a shop that has now become a household name in the island.

Now, on the cusp of 2020, Eric and Margaret's son and son-in-law, Jason May and Rob Edwards, are continuing to steer the business through an ever-changing industry.

Amazon, toys which become so popular it is impossible to keep up with demand, a retail experience that's more than just shopping. These are just some of the things that have forced local shops to change their tune. To stay level with the online competition, traditional retailers have had to think ahead and try to offer new things.

Pictured: The pair sat down with Connect to discuss the business.

"It was purely camping initially but it rapidly evolved," Mr Mahy explained. "It was very much an organic evolution rather than a long-term business plan."

Mr Edwards added: "It followed the needs of the customer and I think that has even a sort of thread of evolution throughout the life of the business. We have always tried to cater for what people are asking for, following threads of needs and then expanding on that to hopefully satisfy the customer base."

The pair have continued to listen to customers' requests, with the most recent addition to the store - a cafe.

"Customers were saying 'it's a shame you don't have a cafe here' and if enough people are saying it then you need to take note," Mr Edwards said. "We ended up restructuring the department that used to be there - it was given too much space compared to the turnover it was generating - and thought  'what can we do with that space' and a cafe worked."

He described how retail had to become something more than just a shop: "It is about experimental shopping. Gone are the days where we want a customer to come in, buy a pan and leave.

Pictured: Eric Mahy who founded the business 40 years ago with his wife.

"We want to offer a customer a good experience from the moment they walk in the door, in terms of welcoming them, levels of service, friendliness - connecting with people and saying good morning, especially with the regulars. So having a cafe where they can come un and have a browse but then have the chance to have a coffee, talk about things and then be able to make the purchase on their way out is really to our advantage."

One of the other big expansions the business has made since Mr Mahy and Mr Edwards took the wheel was the incorporation of Mick's Fishing Supplies. When the time came for Mick Crowder to return, he sold his shop to his neighbours at the Cave, who decided to breathe new life into it.

"When we built that we took advantage of the fact that we knew we couldn't be going, so we went down and built a basement," said Mr Mahy. "It was quite a major project because it is a very wet area, so we had to ensure the walls were sealed otherwise we would have ended up with an underground swimming pool!"

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Pictured top: Mr Edwards and Mr Mahy.