‘We’ve become like a little family of shops – we look out for one another’

“I often get people coming in and asking me what the name of the shop means,” smiles Karen Harvey, founder and owner of Hoos. “Everyone thinks it’s Danish or something. It’s actually just how you say ‘house’ in Scotland,” she laughs, “it’s just a bit of fun.”

Be that as it may, it’s a name that captures a lot about what makes Glasgow’s haven of gorgeous Nordic homeware such a unique delight to visit. Both in terms of its synergy of fine Scandi and Scottish design (“hus”, pronounced the same way as Hoos, happens to be the word for “house” in the three main Scandinavian languages), and also its welcoming sense of warmth and character. Never more so than in the run-up to Christmas, when Harvey and her staff embrace the rich northern European tradition of bringing cosy light and comfort to long, dark winter nights, with their twinkling decorations and friendly, personalised approach to helping customers pick just the right presents for family and friends.

Home has been at the heart of 63-year-old Harvey’s entire working life, in different ways. For 30 years she lived in Suffolk, leading two charities that did revolutionary things in improving the lives, living circumstances and futures of vulnerable young people (she received an MBE for her services). A mixture of professional and personal circumstances led her back to her native Glasgow a few years ago, where she decided to take an entirely new career direction.

“I’ve always had an interest in interiors and design, even though that’s not my background at all,” Harvey explains. “Scandinavian design has always been my sort of personal aesthetic, so when I was thinking: ‘OK, what brands do I want to do?’ they were the only ones for me.” She leased small premises on, at that time, a dilapidated stretch of Great Western Road, just off the west end of Glasgow’s central artery Byres Road, and with the support of her architect partner Bill, cleverly transformed the compact space into an immaculately laid out, bright and inviting oasis of select hard and soft furnishings, cool kitchen and tableware, lush green house plants, stylish rainwear, handmade fashion accessories and other assorted pretty things.

Starting a new business in a new sector would be a daunting challenge for anyone, but Harvey took it in her stride. “I had to go to Copenhagen and be interviewed by some of the brands, because they’re very particular about what kind of shops they’re going in to,” Harvey reveals. She evidently impressed, because Hoos has become one of the few stockists in the UK for a host of hip makers such as Hay, Normann Copenhagen and Skagerak, to name just a few. “Most of my jewellery is by Glasgow School of Art graduates,” Harvey explains. “We also do textiles by Scottish makers. You’re not going to find these kinds of things in any other store either.”

Business is going strong for Hoos, as it helps lead a local high street revival. Harvey is passionate about fostering a thriving community along Great Western Road, which has seen a host of great vintners, victuallers, boutiques, bookshops, bakers and cafes breathe new life into a historic strip of retail premises. She’s involved with Love Great Western Road, a Business Improvement District (BID) proposal encouraging local businesses to work collectively for a brighter, more prosperous commercial future. “It’s helped us to get to know one another,” Harvey says of BID. “We’ve become like a little family of shops – we look out for one another.”

• Hoos stocks exclusive Scandinavian design alongside locally made jewellery and textiles

Shop local this Christmas

As well as local retailers pulling together to support each other, they all rely on their customers doing the same. By reminding people #WhereYouShopMatters, Visa is championing local, independent retailers to help restore richly deserved focus and footfall to our high streets. Not only because our high streets are at the heart of our communities, but also because great independent traders can offer unique and enriching retail experiences, where staff take a hands-on approach to helping you select special things for yourself and for the important people in your life. Shops like Hoos are working hard to not only redefine what it means to be a small, independent trader in the digital age, but also help revitalise our high streets for a new generation, and they deserve to be shouted about for it.

“I’m really encouraged by Visa’s #WhereYouShopMatters initiative,” says Hoos’s Karen Harvey, “because it brings businesses like ours to people’s attention. Particularly among younger people, who I think are the ones who increasingly do most of their shopping online. If it brings Hoos to their attention for maybe the first time, obviously that’s fab. And then they’ll come to Great Western Road more often and see all the other fabulous shops too.”

• Hoos offers a personalised approach to helping customers pick the ideal present

Here are some of Harvey’s top tips for great Christmas shopping experiences in her local area:

Love and Squalor
“A small shop just past Kelvinbridge. Rebecca is the owner and she sells clothes that she handmakes herself. So it’s like going back to how it used to be many years ago. She also buys in things such as wonderful socks and lovely Irish scarves, blankets and candles. It’s just a really nice experience going in there.”
427 Great Western Road, Kelvinbridge, G4 9JA

Cottonrake Bakery
“A fabulous independent bakery, doing wonderful bread, cakes and bakes. In the run-up to Christmas they do all kinds of special things such as Christmas jams and other nice little presents. We feel extremely lucky to have them nearby.”
497 Great Western Road, G12 8HL

Paulin Watches
“Everyone loves a watch – particularly a handmade one. Paulin’s designs are beautiful. They’re a young, independent company and they sell lots of other handmade things such as risograph prints by local artists.”
407 Great Western Road, G4 9JA

Show your high street some love
Why not seek out the personal touch with your Christmas shopping this year and join Visa in supporting local independent businesses across the country because #WhereYouShopMatters