Tartan Gift Shop closing

[ozone]

Ah, the Pound vs dollar discussion.....

I think that the dollar's fall (based on reading the Economist and other such rags) is indeed playing a factor in situations like the tartan gift shop. I was recently in Costco and saw some GREAT deals on french wines. The euro's rise has hurt that industry as well. Plus, having a good growing season caused over-production. Anyway, most wineries, like kilt shops are indeed small business operations.

We forget how much crap (kilts, wine, cars, shoes, skis, etc) we Americans buy from abroad until we no longer feel comfortable buying it because of exchange rates. I think that the tartan gift shop's story is probably the first of several (unfortunately) in the coming months and years.

The USA is orders-of-magnitude a bigger market for kilt stuff compared to Scotland. Perhaps the owner of the tartan gift shop should consider re-locating to the US? It wouldn't be the first time someone found better fortunes in the USA compared to their "old country"

[Scotus]

I am pretty sure his other shop is not a kilt shop. Graeme had quite a few other things in the shop, including a good many sporrans at reasonable prices. I not only bought my first 8 yard kilt from him, I bought my first sporran from him too. He is a man who knows a lot about kilts. I really wish him the best in his future endeavors.

[gilmore]

While it is unfortunate that a maker of quality kilts is going out of business, such is the nature of the free enterprise system. If some one sells something that is marketable, he will make money. If he doesn't, he won't, and others will.

I think it was Oleg Cassini, Jackie Kennedy's couturier, who said something like if you make your living from one person, you ride home on the street car with many people. If you make your living from many people, you ride home in a limousine by yourself.