New side by side Falkirk premises are a perfect fit for clothing firms

The Runway Boutique and Tom, Dick and Harry stores have made the short switch from Cockburn Street in Falkirk to the town’s Callendar Riggs, having “outgrown” their former premises.

Owned by husband and wife duo Andrew and Patricia Walker, the businesses, like their founders, operate side by side.

The couple, who are originally from Teesside, were offered a chance to set up shop in Callendar Riggs by property developer Douglas Hannigan a few months ago.

A popular choice among women looking for “exclusive wear”, Runway has developed a reputation for its out-of-hours service just as much as its high-quality garments since opening five years ago.

Tom, Dick and Harry, meanwhile, has targeted the menswear for weddings market over the past three years — a tactic which the Walkers say they are reaping the rewards from.

To shake things up, management also came up with a Peaky Blinders-themed launch event to try to catch the eye of high street shoppers familiar with the acclaimed BBC gangster drama.

Patricia, who predominantly oversees things at Runway, said: “It’s going well, we’re settling in.

“We’ve been here in Runway about three months and Tom, Dick and Harry has been here for five weeks. It’s brand new because it’s all been renovated. We had outgrown our premises and Douglas let us design the interior.

“Runway has things for every occasion, as well as casual wear. It’s very exclusive wear and we do a personal dressing service out-of-hours with refreshments. It’s very customer service-focused.”

Next door, Andrew is in charge at Tom, Dick and Harry where, according to his wife, men gravitate towards as their other halves shop in Runway.

Patricia added: “We do special offers and discounts and limited edition shirts and jeans. When it first opened we did a split between casual wear and suits but it became apparent we needed more formal wear.”

Visit www.runwayboutique.co.uk or www.tomdickandharrymenswear.co.uk for more details.