Tiger: the colourful store from Copenhagen

I don’t ever mind being wrong.  And I’m VERY good at saying sorry.  But being in the dark about a brilliant shop?   A WHOLE CHAIN OF SHOPS, infact.   That just makes me feel odd and uncomfortable.  I need to know, readers, am I the last to know about Tiger stores?

my local Tiger

I walked past one which has just opened next to the O2 Shopping Centre on Finchley Road earlier today.  Or, more to the point, I walked straight in… rather than straight past.  Drawn in by the crowds of very pleased-looking shoppers making lots of ‘mmmm’ and ‘ooooooh’ sounds to each other as they checked out the Tiger wares.

dried spices galore at Tiger stores

love at first sight with Tiger Stores

What struck me immediately were the divine colours, the easy to walk through shop layout and… the prices!  It’s been more than four years since the much-lamented Woolworths left our neighbourhood (and the country at large for that matter).  And since then there has been nothing brightly coloured to buy for £1, within walking distance of our home.  If you’re small and only have a coin in your hot hand, this is a big deal.

nothing costs £1 anymore

Doing a little online research, I discovered that there are actually 18 Tiger stores across England and more than 200 across 18 European countries.  Originating in Denmark, it turns out that the shopping chain actually set out to cause a retail revolution.  Desperate to prove that cheap and cheerful can be attractive, stylish and useful, it sounds like Tiger could be yet another Scandi-retail-success.

I didn’t buy anything this morning but only because I couldn’t decide what I didn’t want!  Attractive tea towels, a hot pink wooden spoon in a heart shape, wrapping paper, a game of Ludo, dried spices for cooking, new paint brushes…. the variety of products is quite astounding and I really was spoilt for choice.  Anyway, I was alone.  And I’m planning to return very soon with the Smalls and their pocket money.  It will be even more fun to see their reaction to the latest retail addition to our neighbourhood.

sharp product selection and merchandising at Tiger

Tiger, 02 Shopping Centre, Finchley Road, NW3