A busy tram stop in Edinburgh has been specially renamed as part of the launch promotion for Jollyes’ new flagship store at nearby Hermiston Gate Retail Park.
Edinburgh Park Station tram stop has been renamed ‘Edinburgh Bark Station’ for the month of December and one of the city’s trams has also been given new livery for the month featuring the Jollyes brand and pet picture including Zeus, a pet cat owned by Kate Smith, a member of the Edinburgh Trams team.
Jollyes ceo Joe Wykes and Edinburgh Trams financial director Tom Neil unveiled the station’s new name this morning (December 1). Also present were Lindsay Fyffe-Jardine, chief executive of Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home, Jollyes’ charity partner for the opening, and Louise Marshall, Scotland’s national piper.
The Hermiston Gate store officially opens on December 9, the third store the retailer has opened in Scotland this year following new outlets in Stirling and Glenrothes.
As part of its partnership with Edinburgh Trams, a special service will leave St Andrew Square for Edinburgh ‘Bark’ Station at 9.40am on opening day. Passengers will be encouraged to bring their pets aboard the special pet-friendly service, with all fares being donated to Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home. The walking route from the platform to the store will be marked out with paw prints.
The 7,000 sq ft store will employ 16 colleagues, led by store manager Angie Rennie who will step up to the flagship store after leading the team in Stirling. Jollyes Edinburgh will feature a new concept frozen raw food ‘shop-within-a-shop’, a community pet clinic and grooming spa.
Wykes said: “When we approached Edinburgh Trams about renaming the station Edinburgh Bark they thought the idea was the cats’ whiskers. We hope it will put a smile on people’s faces.
“We’re very proud to see our name on one of Edinburgh’s iconic trams and we couldn’t think of a better way to let the people of the city know that we’ve arrived.
“We’ve worked hard to create a store the city can be proud of. It’s in a great location alongside some of the best-known brands in retailing and we hope it’s going to be a magnet for pet lovers and their pets from Edinburgh and the surrounding areas.”
Tom Neil of Edinburgh Trams added: “We hope commuters, shoppers and visitors to the city will see the funny side of the new name for the stop and enjoy seeing Zeus on his travels.”
