Introducing myself, and us...

[Nick Fiddes]

Hi everyone!

As you may have noticed, we've just reached an agreement with Hank to sponsor this site with an advert at the top of the page. So I thought it might be good to say hello more informally... hope this doesn't get too wordy!

You may very likely never have heard of us, but we've been involved in the scene for quite a few years in a variety of ways. So maybe I should start with a little history. Scotweb set up in 1995, and we were in fact the first Scottish company to develop secure online shopping sites. Our first venture into marketing Highland Dress online was to set up Geoffrey Tailor's first web site soon thereafter. And since then we've provided the online expertise for both startups like Classic Kilts by ecossais (snapped up by Hector Russell a couple of years ago) and e-kilts, as well as well as for established authorities such as Kinloch Anderson.

More recently we took the decision to apply everything we've learned over the years into our own network of Scottish retail stores. KiltStore.net (in the banner above!) is one of these, but the network includes a fast-growing list of other specialist sites such as CelticStore.net, BagpipeStore.net and so on. The main 'mothership' site with over 6000 products is at ScotwebStore.com but the specialist sites are easier to navigate, and in fact you can find all the products on any of them by searching.

I'm sure everyone will make claims like this, but our mission with these stores is genuinely to excel in every area of the operation. We've taken a firm decision only to offer products of the highest standards so we won't for example sell the knock-off imported sporrans and bagpipes (or indeed kilts) even if they're cheaper. But despite that we aim to price all our products to meet or beat the lowest price anywhere for the same item. And not only that, but we also aim to excel in customer service, with the best levels of personal attention at every stage of the process. We've had the odd problem like anyone else, but over 90% of our customers are reporting that they're totally satisfied, and when we do screw up we aim to make it up to the customer big time so that they'll still be happy. Sorry if this sounds like an advert, but I do get a bit evangelical about all this! ;-)

We reckon that we now have a larger range of kilts on offer on our sites than anyone else around. (If anyone can point out a larger selection I'm happy to recant this claim!) And this now includes our own exclusive new Kilt2.com brand which you may (or may not) have noticed when we launched it recently. These aren't of course to everyone's taste, but so far the reception has generally been fabulous, and we've a lot more to come from this new direction (including more affordable ones!). Oh, and by the way, I take full responsibility for the pretentious descriptions. ;-) Hopefully you'll understand that this is a little tongue-in-cheek.

So, pardon the shameless promotional, but it's hard to describe who we are without some of this. We tend to be extraordinarily busy a lot of the time, so I'm not sure I'll have much time to particpate here at length, much as I'd like to. But if anyone has specific questions I'll be happy to answer them as best I can.

And by the way, the discount we're offering via the banner above is totally genuine, and is a real reduction on the 'lowest in the market' prices we're already selling at. We can just afford to offer this because the discount takes the place of our advertising budget elsewhere, although we can't guarantee the current discounts forever.

Right, I'll toddle off before I bore everyone to death. I'm very happy to have had this chance to say hi to all of you in this very remarkable community.

Nick

[Freelander Sporrano]

Welcome aboard Nick.

This is a bit of a daft question Nick.However. Have you a shop you can vist.Or are you just web based?

You have no doubt a lot of fun stories to tell from the trade.

And what about a picture?.....

Anyway, once again, Welcome from the frozen north

David

[Nick Fiddes]

Not a daft question at all, David. In fact at the moment we are purely an online business, with a staff of about a dozen full-time. But it's probably not giving away too much of a trade secret to reveal that at the rate we're growing we're anticipating outgrowing our current premises by early next year. So retail premises is one option we're considering when we move. But actually there's very little that can't be done very efficiently by phone or email, and when need be we can always arrange personal appointments with customers.

Nick

[Freelander Sporrano]

Thanks Nick
I'll be in Edinburgh next summer so maybe I'll give you a call.I like the swatch service I'll be using that in the near future.

[Nick Fiddes]

Cheers David. I've added a face pic meanwhile, and I'll try to search out a few more for the gallery. But these are currently a bit few and far between as I'm hideously unphotogenic, so I tend not to have them taken!

[Mychael Sporrano]

Greetings, Nick! It is great that you have become a sponsor for this site. Hopefully, you will also make an effort to post here as time permits. I am curious to hear how kilt2 progresses, as well as to get some general input from your businessman's perspective on some of the things that pop up here from time to time.

Oh, I agree with David. We need a picture of some sort!

Mychael

[GMan]

Nick,

WELCOME!!! With credentials like you have we will definetly have questions. I really love what I see at your sight, and know I will be making my finances upset, but who cares

Glad that you are here!

Again Welcome!

[caig]

Hi Nick. Welcome to this exiciting and very busy web site. I did e-mail your company when I was directed to your Kilt2 site, because I found your collection of kilts simply stunning, but too expensive. I am sure that many of our "X" members are waiting for your modest collection to arrive.
ALAN

[Xcop]

Welcome Nick, from the big island of Hawaii. Great to have your support.

David

[Rufus]

Welcome Nick, from Idaho, USA!

I've heard a lot of good things lately about your business, so I appreciate you logging in to put a more personal aspect to the business.

I also wanted to thank you for sponsoring the site with your ad, and especially for the XMarks discount!